Walk into almost any shul wherever one may be, and chances are one will see the “Ten Commandments[1]” on top of the aron kodesh. They are neatly…
Beshalach: Time for a Test
Along with the joy of teaching high school students comes the drudgery of marking tests – reading answers to the same questions over and over. While…
Bo: Time for a Change
One of the central tenets of our faith is the eternal relevance and unchanging nature of our Torah. The Torah is not only Divinely authored, it is an…
Va'eira: Equal Partners
"As G-d prepares to unleash the plagues on Egypt and redeem the Jewish people from bondage the Torah begins by listing the genealogy of Yaakov.…
Shemot: Giving Birth to Redemption
“In the merit of righteous women of that generation we were redeemed from Egypt” (Sotah 11b). Sefer Shemot introduces us to a number of righteous…
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 maintains or loses his job based on how many wins or…
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). “Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with feeling…
Miketz: Yosef & Chanukah - A Tragic Saga?
“On Chanukah [we read] the [gifts] of the Neseeim, the leaders of the 12 tribes, [given upon the dedication of the Tabernacle” (Megillah 30b). And so…
Vayeshev: Brotherly Silence
When we think of the tragic story of Joseph and his brothers we realize it is just that, namely Joseph and his "brothers". "Joseph's brothers left to…
Vayetze: You Too, Yaakov!
One of the most famous of Biblical stories is that of Yaakov being tricked into marrying Leah by his uncle Lavan. It is so familiar that we often do…
Toldot: Turning 40
“And Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivka, the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean” (Breisheet…
Chayei Sarah: More than a Story
"The discussions of the servants of our patriarchs are more beloved than the Torah of their children” (Rashi, Breisheet, 24:22). This enigmatic…
Vayeira: The Sounds of Silence
The Abraham story begins with G-d’s command to leave “his land, his birthplace and his family” (Breisheet 12:1) to go to some unknown land that G-d…
Lech Lecha: On the Move
Sefer Breisheet might be described as the book of movement. Beginning with the heavenly spheres and moving to birds, fish, animals and humans sefer…
Noach - Beauty with Torah
“And Noach begot three children, Shem, Cham and Yefet” (Breisheet 6:9). Unlike the many other brothers we meet in Breisheet, there is no tension…
Nitzavim-Vayelech: Standing Still and Moving Forward
It is the rare year in which none of the parshiot of the year are doubled. Being that a lunar year is 11 days shorter than a solar one, and…
Ki Tavo: Thank you
We are meant to observe mitzvot without fanfare, to do so because it is the right thing to do. Mitzvot are cheapened when they are used to display…
Ki Teizei: Put it in Context
When trying to properly understand something context is crucial. Torah is no different. A proper understanding of Torah requires a proper analysis of…