Join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven in this week's edition of Temple Talk as they discuss the forty nine days of spiritual growth and maturation known as the Counting of the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer), which begins the day after the Passover Seder and leads up to and concludes with the holiday of Shavuot - the day of receiving Torah (every year anew!) at Sinai.
Who wrote the Torah and why? Did G-d write Torah in order to convey His will to Israel and enable Israel to serve Him? Or does each and every one of us edit the Torah of Sinai, deleting here and pasting on there, in order to customize Torah, like we do a Facebook page so that it will reflect our likes and our desires, enabling G-d to serve us? The trap of unbridled individuality that snared Nadav and Avihu in last week's (this week's, in the diaspora) parashat Shmini, is waiting to trip us up today, if we don't remember rule number one: "I am HaShem your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" to serve Me! Not the other way around! Exposé: Even vegans and vegetarians are commanded to perform the Passover offering.
Click here to download the podcast