“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…
Yitro: The Essence of Torah
Fulfilling G-d's commandments is the essence of Torah. "If not for my covenant, day and night, the laws of heaven and earth, I would…
Beshalach: Dying in the Desert
“And Pharaoh approached...they saw the Egyptians marching at their rear, and the people became very frightened. The Israelites cried out to G-d…
Bo: Timing is Everything
Judaism places great emphasis on the proper use of time. For serious students there is practically no greater sin than that of bitul Torah—the…
Vaera: It Took A While
Moshe was frustrated. Having been coerced by G-d to redeem the Jewish people, things were not going as planned. As Moshe confronted Pharaoh,…
Shemot: Irrational Thinking
Amongst the unsung heroes of the Jewish people are Shifra and Puah. Despite the genocidal decrees of the Egyptian regime against Jewish newborns,…
Vayechi: Time for a Kiss
People often mistakenly think that truly righteous people are somehow different, perhaps not totally "normal". Somehow we assume that…
Vayigash: A Pilot Trip
"And he [Yaakov] sent Judah ahead of him l'horot, to make preparations, in Goshen (Breisheet 46:28). With great fear and trepidation,…
Mikeitz: Home Sweet Home
That one has a natural love for one's place of birth is a truism long recognized by our Talmudic sages. Emigration is never an easy prospect,…