This week's parsha
Unless otherwise noted, "This week's Parsha" comprises articles taken from contributors to the Chabad.org website. We show the original author's name here, so that proper attribution is given. For the sake of brevity, footnotes cited in the original author's writings are omitted from this website. If you need to see the citations, please refer to the original articles on the Chabad.org website.
A Fitting Antidote
How do we take religion out of the once-a-week class? How does one acquire a feeling of (and for) religion? Where does one derive the strength to live by religious ideals, even in moments of weakness? How can one develop a sense of closeness, an awareness of G‑d?
Among the mitzvahs that suffer from neglect bordering on repudiation, tzitzit ranks high. Simple, unobtrusive, yet highly potent in its effect on the observant, tzitzit is probably closer to legend than reality to most Jews. How many know what the word means? They are the fringes placed on four-cornered garments (tallit for instance), and one such garment, called arba kanfot, is generally worn under the shirt.
The Paranormal
The man Moshe was exceedingly humble.
I (G‑d) speak to him . . . in a vision, not in riddles.
Numbers 12:3,8.
As a natural cynic employed to preach faith, I often find myself torn between so-called religious principles and my innate skepticism to reported occurrences of supernatural phenomena.
Take miracles, for instance. I love a good chassidic story of faith, fellowship and relief from suffering. Throw in a witty wordplay and a piece of psychology grounded in Torah, and I’m in clover. However, when the story hinges on miraculous interventions, I get uncomfortable. I start wondering about the veracity of the story. How was the evidence compiled? Who witnessed it and reported it? Even if verified, could this be nothing more than coincidence? If the story sounds implausible or too fantastic, is my uncertainty a sign of lack of faith?
The Antidote to Stupidity
“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped”
-- Elbert Hubbard
In the holy city of Safed, next to the old cemetery, sits a humble structure, known as the “Arizal’s mikvah.” The small building houses a ritual bath which, according to tradition, was used by the master kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–1572, known as the “Arizal”), who would immerse himself in its waters before praying and studying.
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