Category Archives: Leviticus | וַיִּקְרָא

The passage includes a few paragraphs that once again seem rather a reflection of an ancient not too cosy world.  Once again one has to take a distance from these texts, for any literal take would put Jewish customs quite … Continue reading →

Posted on April 30, 2013 by jewhu | Leave a comment

The good news is, one should be kind to strangers, pay one’s workers before the next morning starts, one should not take down all the crops and leave the left overs for the poor. One  should not lie, and not favour the … Continue reading →

Posted on April 20, 2013 by jewhu | Leave a comment

Within The Jewhu Blog considerations are made to the usefulness of the Torah texts in their applicability to contemporary society, examining many claims to metaphysical intervention to more sober examination of how passages may be explained from an anthropological, sociological … Continue reading →

Posted on April 14, 2013 by jewhu | Leave a comment

“Am I god, with power over life and death, that this fellow wants me to cure a man over a skin disease?” …
Packaged within the laws of access to the tabernacle these are of course hygienic inspections whose aim must have been the isolation and reduction of the spread of diseases that were crippling and potentially fatal in the age prior to antibiotics and access to clean water. Continue reading →

Posted on March 31, 2013 by jewhu | Leave a comment

On dietary:
“Philo of Alexandria and Maimonides both have indicated centuries ago that the reason behind these is for two reasons, self-restraint and health. The first is to teach in a physical way that there should be limits to one’s desire, and to accept both that certain animals are off limits in terns of purity and secondly that one is to eat special foods during certain times.”
On Nadab and Abihu
“By mocking or fooling around with this, they put the cult’s credibility under threat, based on the fear of people from metaphysical forces. Given such immense threat and the investment of Moses into building the cult, mocking it and fooling around with the basis of its source of authority (god in the smoke and fire pillars), are very serious, especially if others had noticed it. Sacrificing people as close to Moses as Aarons.” Continue reading →

Posted on March 24, 2013 by jewhu | Leave a comment

Vayikra – Lev. 1:1-5:26 and Tzav Lev. 6:1- 8:36

Posted on March 10, 2013 by jewhu

Animal sacrifice to please god and excuse short comings. Human heritage has almost universally included animal sacrifices in all cultures.  The Israelite ritual slaughter for God ended over 2000 years ago with the destruction of the temple. I find nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Jeremiah | יִרְמְיָהוּ, Leviticus | וַיִּקְרָא | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment