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One day, a young boy came home from school with a note for his mother. He gave it to her with a smile, and said, “My teacher gave me this paper and told me to give it only to you.”

There’s a powerful connection between the beginning and end of our double parshah, Acharei Mos–Kedoshim. While they’re not always read together, even when separate, they remain deeply connected.

These parshios deal with the topic of tzara’as, leprosy. According to the Rambam, tzara’as was a spiritual leprosy, not the kind that exists today. It was a type with special halachos of tumah and taharah. In other words, it was miraculous, and it is important for us to notice and pay attention to Hashem’s great ways.

Last week, Israel celebrated the 77^th anniversary of its independence. Despite the many challenges we face, there is still cause to celebrate the miracles. However, our achievements came at a price. On the day before Yom HaAtzmaut – Independence Day – we observe Yom HaZikaron – Memorial Day. In Israel, it is a solemn occasion, where we remember those who have fallen to make the return of the Jewish people to the land G-d promised us possible. It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of our loss, but it helps to reflect on the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people, the Torah, and the Land of Israel.

In our previous article, we began exploring the nature of lashon hara and the unique nature of speech in general. Speech holds the power to create relationships, lift people up, expand people’s minds, and enable genuine communication and connection.

Imagine a teenager lying on a grassy field, gazing into the night sky. As he stares up at the stars, he thinks to himself, “Look at how enormous the universe is. The sky just expands endlessly... It must go on forever.” After sitting with that thought for a few moments, he becomes uncomfortable. “How can anything go on forever? Everything must stop eventually.”