“The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.” — Jacob Bronowski

A well-known study found that the vast majority of infants suck their thumbs. The explanations are typically straightforward. It is a natural reflex, a source of comfort, and part of early self-soothing behavior.

In the Torah, however, the thumb appears in a very different context. In the purification process of the metzora (a skin discoloration), described in Leviticus chapter 14, part of the ritual involves........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)