The most obvious connection between Tisha b’Av and parshat Vaetchanan—which is always read on the Shabbat following this…
Devarim: Justice You Shall Not Pursue
The true state of health of any society can be determined by an examination of the justice system that it provides for its citizens. Are rich and…
The Nine Days: Aharon's Yahrzeit
“Aharon the priest ascended Hor Hahar and died there in the fortieth year... in the fifth month on the first of the month” (Bamidbar 33:…
Massei: Living in Canada
Canada is a wonderful country, and as residents of this country, we are obliged by Torah law to abide by its laws and also pray for its welfare.…
Chukat: Undressing Aaron
"Take Aaron, and Elazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his vestments, and dress Elazar his son in them; Aaron shall…
Korach: When Silence is Not Golden
It is most difficult to solve a problem if the protagonists will not meet with each other and hear each other out. While there is no guarantee that…
Beha'alotcha: Selective Memory
It is amazing how selective our memory can be. People often yearn for the good old days: days full of poverty, pogroms and peddling. The ability to…
Nasso: The Righteous Adulterer
Judaism has long insisted that we give people the benefit of the doubt: one is innocent until proven guilty. It is always difficult to…
Shavuot: An Evolving Torah
“Rav Yossi said: It would have been appropriate had the Torah been given through Ezra, but Moshe preceded him… and even though the Torah…
Yom Yerushalayim: Natural and Supernatural
The Jewish nation waited for close to 1,900 years to regain sovereignty over G-d’s chosen land. It took an additional 19 years until…
Bechukotai: A Proper Ending
A mark of a good book is a clear and coherent structure. The opening chapters set the tone, themes are appropriately developed, and the conclusion…
Emor: A Second Yom-Tov
“You shall count seven complete weeks from the day following the Shabbat from the day you brought the omer as a wave offering seven…
Tzav: The Place of Sin
"This is the law of the sin offering, chatat: at the place where the elevation offering, olah, is slaughtered shall the sin offering be…
Vayikra: A Book of Love
Perhaps Man’s greatest fear is his ultimate irrelevance, that we really don’t make a difference and that in the greater scheme of things…
Pekudei: Time and Space
“And it was on first month of the second year on the first of the month that the Tabernacle was erected” (Shemot 40:17). The first of…
Ki Tisa: The Golden Garden
"And the people saw ki boshesh Moshe, that Moshe delayed in coming down from the mountain" (32:1). As a young nation coming from…
Terumah: Child's Play
Judaism sees the sparks of the Divine within the most mundane of activities. Revelation at Sinai is followed by a series of laws dealing with such…
Mishpatim: Free the Slaves
One of the revolutions that Judaism brought to the world was its attitude towards, and its treatment of, slaves. Whereas in the ancient world slaves…