“And G-d spoke to Moshe to say to the Jewish people: Ach, however: my Sabbaths you are to keep! For…
Purim: Celebrating Community
In what surely is one of the strangest, shocking and surreal of teachings, our Sages have noted…
Tetzaveh: Pursuing Justice
“And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an efod, and a robe, and a…
Terumah: The First of Adar
The first of Adar is a very special day. “Just as when Av begins one decreases rejoicing, so too…
Mishpatim: The Ten Commandments
“And all the people saw the thunder, the lightning, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain…
Yitro: Jealous and Jealous
Walk into almost any shul wherever one may be, and chances are one will see the “Ten Commandments[1…
Beshalach: Time for a Test
Along with the joy of teaching high school students comes the drudgery of marking tests – reading…
Bo: Time for a Change
One of the central tenets of our faith is the eternal relevance and unchanging nature of our Torah…
Va'eira: Equal Partners
"As G-d prepares to unleash the plagues on Egypt and redeem the Jewish people from bondage the…
Shemot: Giving Birth to Redemption
“In the merit of righteous women of that generation we were redeemed from Egypt” (Sotah 11b). Sefer…
Vayechi: To Forgive or Not to Forgive
“What’s the bottom line” is an expression one often hears in so many areas of life. A coach…
Vayigash: To Cry or Not to Cry
"He turned away from them and wept, he returned to them and spoke to them” (Breisheet 42:24). “…
Chanukah: The Lights and The Lights
"The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lamps is a very beloved mitzva” (Laws of Chanukah…
Miketz: Yosef & Chanukah - A Tragic Saga?
“On Chanukah [we read] the [gifts] of the Neseeim, the leaders of the 12 tribes, [given upon the…
Vayeshev: Brotherly Silence
When we think of the tragic story of Joseph and his brothers we realize it is just that, namely…
Vayetze: You Too, Yaakov!
One of the most famous of Biblical stories is that of Yaakov being tricked into marrying Leah by…
Toldot: Turning 40
“And Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivka, the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Paddan-…
Chayei Sarah: More than a Story
"The discussions of the servants of our patriarchs are more beloved than the Torah of their…