The Shulkhan Arukh, also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in Tzfat, Ottoman Eyalet of Damascus, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years…
This week’s parsha is Beha’alotekha: Numbers 8:1-12:16 Beha’alotcha (8:1-12:16) – (When You Set Up): Haftorah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7 (Ashkenazi); Zechariah 2:14-4:7 (Sephardi) 8:1-4: The Menorah 10:35-36: The Ark goes forth 8:5-22: Consecration of the Levites 11:1-3: The complainers 8:23-26: Apprenticeship and…
This week’s parsha is Naso: Numbers 4:21-7:89 Naso (4:21-7:89) – (Lift Up): Haftorah: Judges 13:2-25 (Ashkenazi); Judges 13:2-25 (Sephardi) 4:21-28: The Gershonites responsibilities 5:23-31: The scroll 4:29-37: The Merarites’ responsibilities 6:1-8: The Nazirite 4:38-49: The totals 6:9-12: Sudden contamination 5:1-4:…
This week’s parsha is Bamidbar: Numbers 1:1-4:20 Bamidbar (1:1-4:20) – (In the Wilderness): Haftorah: Hosea 2:1-22 (Ashkenazi); Hosea 2:1-22 (Sephardi) 1:1-3: Census in the Wilderness 3:1-4: The progeny of Moses and Aaron 1:4-43: The tribal leaders 3:5-10: Appointment of the…
Chag HaShavuot is the second of the three annual chagim (Pilgrimage Festivals) in the Hebrew Calendar. In English Shavuot is known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. The chag is known by various names. It is known as Chag…
This week’s parsha is Behar-Bechukotai: Leviticus 25:1-27:34 Behar (25:1-26:2) – (On The Mount): Haftorah: Jeremiah 32:6-27 (Ashkenazi); Jeremiah 32:6-22 (Sephardi) 25:1-7: Shemittah/Sabbatical Year 25:35-38: Preventing poverty 25:8-13: Yovel/Jubilee Year 25:39-46: A Jew’s Jewish “slave” 25:14-22: Sequence of the passages 25:47-55:…
This week’s parsha is Emor: Leviticus 21:1-24:23 Emor (21:1-24:23) – (Speak): Haftorah: Ezekiel 44:15-31 (Ashkenazi); Ezekiel 44:15-31 (Sephardi) 21:1-9: Laws of a Kohen 23:9-14: The Omer 21:10-15: Laws of the Kohen Gadol 23:15-22: The Omer count and Shavuot 21:16-24: Disqualifying…
This week’s parsha is Tazria-Metzora: Leviticus 16:1-20:27 Acharei (16:1-18:30) – (After The Death): Haftorah: Amos 9:7-15 (Ashkenazi); Ezekiel 22:1-16 (Sephardi) 16:1-5: The death of Aaron’s sons and the Yom Kippur service 17:10-12: Prohibition against eating blood 16:6-11: The lots 17:13-16:…
V. If we reject the first argument for a divine Oral Law that was given to Moses from God we are left with the definition of an Oral Law that came from the rabbis of old. The rabbis who contributed…
This week’s parsha is Tazria-Metzora: Leviticus 12:1-15:33 Tazria (12:1-13:59) – (She Conceives): Haftorah: II Kings 4:42-5:19 (Ashkenazi); II Kings 4:42-5:19 (Sephardi) 12:1-2: Human contamination 13:24-28: Burns 12:3-8: Childbirth and purification 13:29-39: Tzaraas of the head or face 13:1-3: The basic…
