“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…
Shoftim: It is Your Responsibility
“Then all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi. And they shall make…
Re'eh: Conflicting Emotions
It is difficult to feel two contradictory emotions at the same time. Conflicting, if not contradictory, emotions such as joy and sadness,…
Eikev: Thank You!
We all like to take credit for success, but failure we tend to blame on others. Such is human nature. Judaism, in trying to elevate our base…
Va'etchanan: A Smart Torah
What is the role of the Jewish people? To give some insight to this most complex question we must first analyze why G-d created man in the first…