Torah Parallels

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas  Metzora A Time to Tweet: Don’t Kill Two Birds with One Tone By: Daniel Listhaus וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹב “The  Kohen shall command; and for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, pure birds, cedarwood, a crimson [tongue of] wool, and hyssop.” -Metzorah  14:4                                                                                       After having detailed the characteristics of the various  tzara’as  afflictions that could appear on one’s body and clothing in  Parshas Tazria ,  Parshas Metzorah  opens with a description of the process for the  metzorah  (person with  tzara’as ) to become  tahor  (pure).  Rashi [1] explains that each of the items required as part of the  tahara  process had a specific role and symbolization. The first component listed in the  passuk  (verse) is the pair of birds.  Rash i [2]

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Metzora! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: : Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  Tzara'as on the wall . The passuk (14:34) writes that Hashem will put tzara’ason the walls of the homes in Eretz Yisroel when the B’nei Yisroel inhabit the land in order to expose where the Amorites hid there treasures of gold. Why did Hashem choose the symbol of tzara’as to aid in exposing these treasures?  Concept I am considering : Maalin b’kodesh v’ein moridin.  The mishna in Megillah (3:1) discusses what could be bought with the proceeds from a sale of a sanctified item.. It states that, “Inhabitants of a town who have sold the town square of the town, they may use the funds to then purchase a shul. If sold a sh

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas  Tazria The End is Near:  “Game Over” or “Level Cleared”? By: Daniel Listhaus וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר :  דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּו‍ֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, 'Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: When a   woman conceives   and gives birth to a male, she shall  b e impure for a seven-day period, as during the days of her menstruant infirmity shall she be impure.'” -Tazria  12:1-2              Rashi [1] points out that only now after having discussed many of the details regarding bringing animals as  karbanos  (offerings) does the Torah teach about the very first  halachos  (laws) that apply at the beginning of every childbirth.  Rashi  brings from a  medrash [2] that the reason for this order is because it is structured after the sequence of  Beraishis  (Creation). Just as the creation of