The value of an object, action or idea is a function of the number and complexity of its individual components. Connoisseurs appreciate this.

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Gender confusion is initiated not only by cross-dressing and make-up, but also by cross-gender behavior

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National prosperity is a blessing from Hashem that is conditional on the sacrifices that individuals make.

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When the Torah names something not as a description of a commodity but as the definition of a specific object’s wholeness, it becomes a “beriah”, something whose identity is complete and cannot be adulterated.

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Doing something by mistake (שוגג) and doing it intentionally (מזיד) are two points on a single spectrum of awareness. Full awareness of what one is doing creates the conditions for a מזיד; anything less than full awareness already moves the dial in the direction of שוגג. The purpose of warning (התראה) is to raise awareness to the maximum level.

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Just as in the Torah, the purpose of Azhara is to educate us in values not to threaten us with punishment, so too hatra’ah (warning) is to educate the person about the consequences of his actions, not to intimidate him with fear.

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How we respond to resistance determines our growth. Growth happens when we resist the forces of nature; and with resistance comes discomfort. Sometimes we choose our areas of resistance and embrace them. At other times resistance is imposed upon us.

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Experts expound on why various things happen. In reality they are explaining how they happen but not why they happen. The why is far too complex for the human mind to grasp.

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