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May 24, 2026, 11:46 PM

The Diamond Polisher’s Aliyah: A Wake-Up Call for the Barefoot Priesthood

A juxtaposition of a Kohen receiving the first aliyah in a modern synagogue (left) versus the practical, barefoot preparation for sacrifice (avodah) in the Temple courtyard (azarah) (right). / Image generated using AI

Every Shabbat morning in synagogues across the globe, a predictable, beautiful, and ancient ritual takes place. The Torah scroll is unfurled, the room grows quiet, and the Gabbai calls out the familiar words: “Ya’amod, Kohen.” From the community, a man...

May 7, 2026, 4:28 AM

Why Other Religions Are Confidently Wrong About Us

Still standing today and carved shortly after the events of 70 CE. It stands as one of the only contemporary visual records of the Temple's sacred vessels: the Menorah, the silver trumpets, and the Table of the Showbread. It locks the brutal reality of that exile into stone.

A Muslim friend recently told me that "middah k'neged middah," which means measure for measure, was proof that Judaism is evil. He had translated it as "an eye for an eye" and presented it as the ethical core of...

May 7, 2026, 12:00 AM

Parashat Emor, May Day, and Pesach Sheni

This Shabbat, we read the Torah portion called “Emor”. Parashat Emor is like the ancient calendar of the Jewish people. It lists all our holidays in order: Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. But if we look at...

May 4, 2026, 9:34 PM

Shares of Time – Emor 5786

A couple of months ago, I became a shareholder. Now, before anyone gets too excited, I should clarify: I bought one share. One share of Citizens Bank. It cost me $68.04. I am now a proud owner of Citizens Bank — or...

May 4, 2026, 11:11 AM

Shalom Brothers: What Men Catch (Emor)

Shlomo Bardin, the visionary founder of Brandeis-Bardin, famously taught that Judaism is “caught, not taught.” He was right, and also only half right. Judaism is contagious. It travels through melody, gesture, hospitality, rhythm, meals, posture, atmosphere. It gets into...

May 3, 2026, 5:07 AM

Parshat Emor 5786

Like Father, Like Son — and the Boundaries of Identity On Shabbos Morning we read about the following in the Parsha “And the son of an Israelite woman went out… and he pronounced the Name and cursed” (Vayikra 24:10–11). Chazal and Rashi...

May 1, 2026, 7:34 PM

The Form That Sustains the Presence Emor does not begin with a dramatic scene. There is no flight, no fire, no cry. It begins almost dryly, with an instruction addressed to those who must live in front of everyone and...

Ben-Tzion Spitz

May 1, 2026, 7:02 PM

Repetitive Repetitions (Emor)

“The mantra becomes one’s staff of life and carries one through every ordeal. Each repetition has a new meaning, carrying you nearer and nearer to God.” — Mahatma Gandhi Since the invention of literary critics, which likely followed the invention...

Nathan Lopes Cardozo

May 1, 2026, 6:56 PM

Parashat Emor – The Call to Holiness

קדשים יהיו לאלהיהם ולא יחללו שם אלהיהם כי את־אשי ה' לחם אלהיהם הם מקריבם והיו קדש They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the Eternal’s offerings by fire,...

May 1, 2026, 6:48 PM

Faith as a Journey (Emor, Covenant & Conversation)

In its account of the festivals of the Jewish year, this week’s parsha contains the following statement: For seven days you shall live in huts . All those native-born in Israel must live in huts, so that future generations may...

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