All tagged tazria

Parshas Tazria: Understanding Bris Milah

Devir Kahan
Pesach, Parsha

In this week’s parsha the Torah commands bris milah, or circumcision. In a parsha, and series of parshios, dedicated almost exclusively to dealing with the laws of tumah and taharah, one wonders how bris milah fits into the picture. Herein we shall examine the mitzvah of bris milah and see if we can come to a better understanding of what it is really all about, and how to understand this pervasive, but seldom contemplated, practice...

Hashgacha Pratis (Part 1): Even A Leaf From A Tree?

Devir Kahan
Hashgacha, God

Here begins what I hope will become something of a mini-series on the topic of Hashgacha Pratis. Literally translated, it means “Detailed Supervision”, but it is otherwise known as “Divine Intervention” or “Divine Providence”. The question at hand is how often, and in what way, God intervenes in the world. When does God get involved in our state of affairs? Without getting too involved too quickly, it is enough to say that such a topic is, of course, fundamental to Judaism, and a proper understanding of the topic is of great importance. It is this that we endeavor to achieve in this series...