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PARSHA POSTS: VAYIKRA

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Moshe Grussgott

Mar 25, 2026, 9:51 PM

The Necessity of Exile? A Gross Warping of Torah

1) Distortion of Torah Professor Shaul Magid has established himself in recent years as the leading anti-Israel Jewish intellectual in academia. In his book “The Necessity of Exile” he makes his case for why he thinks that exile is the ideal...

Mordechai Silverstein

Mar 24, 2026, 4:39 PM

Justice Will Prevail

Parashiyot Vayikra and Tzav present a detailed catalogue of nearly all the sacrifices that are not tied to the calendar. A significant number of these offerings function as atonement for various infractions and sins. In Parashat Tzav, after outlining...

Mar 24, 2026, 5:36 AM

When Words Fail Us: Vayikra 5786

The idea of animal sacrifice seems primitive and antiquated. I recently listened to a lecture by Rabbi Alex Israel, entitled “Understanding Korbanot” which makes the ancient sacrificial procedures much more relatable. I would like to share some of his...

Mar 22, 2026, 3:28 PM

Rethinking Sacrifice in the Age of Autonomy

If we are relentlessly honest with ourselves, the Book of Leviticus—Sefer Vayikra—is the graveyard of our best biblical intentions. Every year, as we complete the sweeping family drama of Genesis and the thrilling, nation-making liberation of Exodus, we arrive at...

Eliezer Avraham

Mar 22, 2026, 8:27 AM

Vayikra: When the Still Small Voice Breaks Through

A train driver’s quiet reassurance on a Tel Aviv platform and Elijah’s encounter with wind, earthquake, fire; and then silence, reveal the same truth: G‑d’s voice is not in the noise, but in the stillness, we dare to enter. The...

Mar 22, 2026, 2:47 AM

Parshat Vayikra 5786

This week's Parsha is Parshat Vayikra. It starts out with וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה-And He called to Moshe. Its appearance in a Sefer Torah at the beginning of Vayikra (the “small aleph”) is almost invisible. Do not expect - the Torah is intimating - that the...

Mar 20, 2026, 5:40 PM

It’s the Simple Things

Just about 19 years ago, I was sitting in the cheder ochel of Michlalah as the 2006/7 seminary year came to a close. The end of the year banquet included (among other things) a celebratory meal and many speeches....

Mar 20, 2026, 5:23 PM

Shalom Brothers: I Just Called To Say, ‘I Love You.’ (Vayikra)

One of my favorite songs is Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” What makes it so good is that the song refuses to wait for a special occasion. No holiday, no anniversary, no skywriting, no...

Mar 20, 2026, 5:19 PM

Parasha Vayikra—Where Sacrifice Becomes Language

There is something strange at the beginning of this book. The very word — Vayikra, “And He called” — is written with a small alef in the Hebrew text. It is not a graphic detail; it is a sign....

Mar 20, 2026, 12:31 PM

Letting Go of Who I Was Yesterday

Parshas Vayikra opens with a discussion of “karbonos,” the daily service in the Temple where offerings were brought on the altar. We begin every day’s prayers with the recitation of the order of “karbanos,” which is translated as “offerings”...

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