Ritual Purity

This week's portion states (Numbers 19:15) "Any open vessel which has no seal fastened around it becomes unclean." Based on this verse, Maimonides discusses various scenarios in which the contents of a vessel with a tight-fitting lid (Heb. "tzamid patil")...

How does a food item become susceptible to ritual defilement? This class analyzes the three requisite conditions in Halacha and relates each to a parallel in the service of G-d. (Based on Likkutei Sichos vol. 27, pp.74)

A spiritual exploration of the three preconditions for a food item to become ritually impure. The inner dimension of these Temple laws highlights how there is a part of us that is always whole and pure, where nothing – no trauma, no circumstances – can da...

Rashi explores Talmudic sources to dissect the Torah law about how a person becomes impure if they kill someone.

Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 224 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.

Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 172 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.

The last Mishnah of chapter 7 of Tractate Mikvaot deals with how to overcome physical challenges that one may encounter when attempting to successfully achieve ritual immersion in a mikveh. This class will reveal the spiritual dimension of this teaching a...

The 24th chapter of Tractate Keilim deals with laws of ritual impurity (tumah) as it applies to various vessels, foremost amongst them the different type of shields—for combat, for training purposes and for sport. This class will address the spiritual dim...