Insight 5774-21: Community and Individual

For Terumah
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Question

1) Implicit in the Insight's message is the necessary divergence in the behaviour of individual's in a community; not everyone can be a doctor, a lawyer, a farmer. Applied to the structure of Torah, if a relationship with God is a communal objective, not everyone can be the kohein. There is also a need for divergence. Included in the message of this Insight, is the uniqueness of the view of spirituality.

This was my message in regard to women and tefillin. It was with this in mind that I downplayed the desire of these women to wear tefillin. Mitzvot are not generic sources of spirituality. It is this view of them as such that motivates those on the outside to desire to adopt this behaviour. It is similar to the non-kohein wishing to be a kohein. The challenge is, though, that over the centuries women had adopted certain behaviours from which they were exempt such as listening to the shofar and taking a lulav and etrog. Based upon my argument, why would this have developed? Is there a place to draw the line on what can be assimilated and what cannot? This subject demands further investigation.

Insight 5774-20: The Collective Listener

For Mishpatim
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Question

1)

Insight 5774-19: Existential Communication

For Yitro
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Question

1) The gemara presents three opinions as to the news of what event prompted Yitro to go to the Jewish camp. What do you think is the difference in motivation represented by this difference of opinion?

Insight 5774-18: Action and Prayer

For Beshalach
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Question

1)

Insight 5774-17: The Sanhedrin's Role

For Bo
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Question

1)