Tzedek is Outward and Mostly Self-Reflective

Parshat Behar-Bechukosai

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The Torah describes the concept of leasing land, which will be returned at the Yovel year. How people use that land during their lease is very much dependent on their own skills and talents. Will they farm the land? Build a manufacturing plant? Hire workers and pay a living wage? Create opportunities for employees to bring out their own talents? 

 The Torah goes on to describe the needy Jew, and our responsibility to him. 

 25:35: If he becomes destitute, וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ (you shall support him, whether stranger or resident, and he shall live with you). The first point is that it doesn’t matter who the person is. Whether GER or a TOSHAV – YOU have to give him CHIZUK. Encourage him. A kind word. Don’t turn him away or turn him off. וחי עמך means that you, the Jewish people, can never become guilty of losing someone to other influences or paths. 

 Even this instruction begs us to ask: Is anything foolproof? Will there be 100% retention rate? Is it possible to prevent EVERYONE from falling through the cracks?

How Many Holidays Are During Sukkos?

I was privileged to present this material - in a much expanded way - for Torah In Motion on 4/30/2026

The class is available online https://torahinmotion.org/classes/parshat-emor-how-many-holidays-are-there-in-tishrei-the-strange-phenomenon-of-the-holiday

or on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_ZetzHvrw

If you choose to watch - I highly recommend speeding up the video to 1.5 or 1.75 speed 😇

Parshat Emor

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

The holiday we mostly call Sukkos is mentioned in the Torah five times. 

Shmos 23:16 – “And the holiday of the ingathering at the צאת (end/beginning) of the year, when you gather your doing from the field.” 

Shmos 34:22 – “And the holiday of ingathering at the תקופת (time) of the year.” 

[Many commentaries note that the words צאת and תקופת refer to a time of the year when the agricultural season comes to its conclusion, which is as the fields are closing up in advance of the winter, after the ingathering/harvest.]

In both of those cases, the Torah does not give a date, does not tell us how many days, and only mentions the concept of “ingathering” as it calls the festival “Chag HaAsif” – essentially the Jewish version of Thanksgiving.

V'Ahavta L'Reiakha Kamokha

Kedoshim 

Compiled by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg and translated by Rabbi Avi Billet 

Itturei Torah, a sefer that has a collection of Divrei Torah on every parsha, has two pages dedicated to the Mitzvah of V’ahavta l’Rei’akha Kamokha – which is often loosely translated to mean “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Torah ideas are sourced from a cross between classic commentaries to Chassidish Rebbehs, sometimes with stories attached, sometimes a musser lesson. I don’t know if the book has been translated (I am pretty sure it hasn’t been). 

Here are many of the entries on this verse – my translation (AB).  [If you'd like to see perspectives from more "classic" sources - click here]

 R Moshe Leib Sassover explained how he learned from a non-Jew what it means to love your fellow man. He saw two villagers sitting around, drinking together, till they were quite inebriated. They started kissing one another. One said to the other, “Do you love me?” Of course I do, my friend! “How can you say you love me, when you don’t know what I lack?” 

 R Moshe Leib said, “At that moment I realized that a Jew doesn’t truly love his fellow until he is aware of what his fellow Jew lacks,” and how he can therefore help the other person. 

Rituals of Purification

 Parshat Tazria-Metzora

by Rabbi Avi Billet

There are 4 rituals in the Torah that bear similarities in how they are presented. Three of them are associated with the categories of people mentioned by Baal HaTurim (as will be noted below) – Leviim, Nazir, and Metzora, and the 4th category are Aharon and sons, the Kohanim, at the time they are initially turned from Leviim to Kohanim, as they are consecrated to work in the Mishkan. 

 This chart summarizes (incompletely) the components of those respective rituals and where they appear in the Torah. 

Aharon's Silence

Parshat Shmini 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

 Immediately after the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Moshe tells his brother, “This is what God meant when he said ‘I’ll be sanctified with those closest to me and before the nation I’ll be honored,’ and Aharon was silent.” 

 Aharon’s silence in response to all of this is legendary, such that much has been written about it. How we learn from him how to mourn, how to accept tragedy as God’s will.

 But is it really as simple as that? Is Aharon really accepting of the tragedy? Does he have no questions? Is there no anger in his heart? No feeling of “Why my sons, God?” And is his silence in reaction to the tragedy he experienced? Or is it a response to Moshe’s words?

Eliyahu HaNavi and Night Time Salvation

Pesach 5786

A Sermon by Rabbi Avi Billet

Beyond Israel’s now 78 year war with its local enemies, the current military action in Iran is the first time another power has gotten involved on the offensive, advancing shared interests with the Jewish State. In the past some countries have provided weapons to Israel to help Israel fight her own fight. And the Patriot missiles, a not-as-good-as-Iron Dome method of intercepting missiles was used in the 1991 Iraq War. That war, as many surely recall, started after Iraq invaded Kuwait. And while Israel was not involved, Saddam Hussein had threatened that if the US invades, he’d shoot missiles at Israel. Which he did. 

That war put Israel on alert to put bomb shelters in all new construction, including houses and apartment buildings. Some are actually in apartments and are for the use of the family living there, while some are in the basements of buildings and are more communal. 

Put in the Time to Prepare for the Big Day

Parshat Tzav  / Shabbos HaGadol

 by Rabbi Avi Billet 

In the last four verses of the parsha, we see the warning and instruction given to the Kohanim as to where they are supposed to be for the 7 days leading up to the “Yom HaShmini” that will be described in the coming Parsha with chapter 9. 

 Verse 33 - And you shall not leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the day of the completion of your investiture days, he will inaugurate you for seven days. 

Verse 35 - And you shall stay day and night for seven days at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. You shall observe the Lord's command, so that you will not die, for thus I was commanded. 

I would argue that the message is clear. But is it? Are they stuck at the opening of the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed) for 7 days? What if someone needs a break? Or to relieve oneself?