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We often think of the big communal sacrifices, the ones everyone brings together. But what about all the other offerings? The smaller ones, the personal vows, the little gifts we w...
It's not always straightforward. There's a lot packed into the Torah, even in what seems like a simple command. to a passage from Sifrei Devarim, an early rabbinic commentary on th...
We read about them in the Torah, these intricate ceremonies involving blood and altars. But what was the point? And how did they actually work? to a little detail from Sifrei Devar...
In Judaism, that feeling extends to the sacred commands, the mitzvot. How closely do we need to follow them? Can we embellish a little? Maybe cut a corner or two? Well, the book of...
Sometimes, the Torah itself gives us a glimpse, a little peek behind the curtain. Sifrei Devarim 109, commenting on Deuteronomy, sheds a bit of light on this very topic. When the T...
The passage opens with a thought experiment, a kind of "what if" scenario. "I might think, on Channukah..." the text begins. Channukah, the festival of lights, commemorating the re...
Jewish law, or halakha, sometimes feels that way – meticulously detailing every aspect of life. But hidden within these details, we often find profound ethical and spiritual lesson...
Turns out, keeping time – especially Jewish time – is a delicate dance. Let's talk about Aviv. You know, the month we now call Nissan, the month of Passover? Deuteronomy 16:1 kicks...
The answer, unsurprisingly, is a resounding "no." But the reasoning behind that "no" is to a passage from Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deute...
