I am continuously struck by the importance of continuity in Judaism. With every Kiddush recited over a Passover cup of wine, and every Shema recited at bedtime, we declare our dedication to the Jewish ...

Our guest this week, Rabbi Ted Falcon, was ordained in 1968 at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. After his ordination, Rabbi Falcon served in Los Angeles as a ...

'This world is not mine. It existed before me and will continue after me...I have entered, as a guest, into a perfect system run by God.' Parashat ‘Emor’ contains 63 commandments, presented in a ...

The Torah portion of Emor discusses the roles and rules regarding the Kohen, the newly formed priestly caste of Israel. It also highlights some of the guidelines relating to the High Priest, the Kohen ...

I began writing this D’var Torah in mid-week, looking forward to the semi-Festival of Lag Ba'Omer. And I began by noting that Parashat Emor opens with instructions for the Kohanim (Priests): “Hashem ...

Most of us do not think that much about the spoken word – it is a means of communication that we use when needed. At the end of Parshat Emor, however, we see something different. We read that someone ...

Jerusalem Post / Jewish World / Judaism Parashat Emor: The vertical relationship Is the Shavuot Jew superior to the Pessah Jew? In last week's commentary I wrote about the count (sefira) of 49 days ...

The relationship of the priest to his community is commonly viewed as hierarchical; the movement is from the above to the below. The priest is the religious leader who is greater than his brothers and ...