"And you shall take for yourself on the first day a beautiful fruit of the tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows and you shall…
Yom Kippur: The Month After
“For the sin we committed by wronging a neighbour, for the sin we committed by bribery, for the sin we committed in our business dealings”. On and on…
Rosh Hashanah: Time to Remember
David, Karen, and Beca Bookman wish their parents, families, friends, and the Or Chaim Minyan a Happy and Healthy Shana Tova, and a Shana Tova to…
Ki Tavo: What a Waste!
Man has an innate desire to see the fruit of his own efforts. When life's blessings are handed to one on a silver platter, those blessings are…
Ki-Teze: On the Road
Until modern times, travel was viewed as something best avoided. It was slow, uncomfortable, and often quite dangerous. As we learn in Brachot 29b-…
Shoftim: Ignoring Justice
This week's d'var Torah is dedicated in honour of the upcoming wedding of Estie Roz and Avner Zeifman. May they share much happiness and…
Re'eh: Man and Man
Beginning with the Aseret haDibrot, we often tend to classify mitzvoth as being either between man and G-d, or between man and man. While the…
Eikev: The Sweat of Your Brow
Raising an independent nation is no easy task. The generation that left Egypt was (understandably) not up to the task. Whether or not their children…
VaEtchanan: Easy Money
One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that of reward and punishment. Keep the mitzvoth and get rewarded. Violate the laws of the Torah and be…
Tisha B'Av: Courage of Convictions
“Do not be afraid of [any] man”. Parshat Devarim, which is always read on the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av, begins with Moshe’s exhortations regarding…
Mattot-Massei: A Sojourn in Germany
“And these are the travels of the children of Israel”. We know little of many of the places the Jewish people encamped during their stay in the…
Pinchas: Standing Up For What's Right
The d'var Torah this week is dedicated in honour of the participants on the inspiring Journey Through Jewish History - Italy 2012. “And it was after…
Chukat: Second Chances
The law of the red heifer serves as the break between two separate but similar narratives: those relating to the generation that left Egypt, and…
Beha'alotcha: Moshe's Helpers
Like many a great leader, Moshe—the greatest of all leaders—had difficulty delegating authority. Knowing you can do the job better than…
Emor: G-d's Name
Of all possible wrongdoings, only one does not allow for the possibility of teshuva, repentance. Causing a chilul Hashem, a desecration of G-d's…
Kedoshim: The Path to Holiness
Our tradition asserts that there are 613 mitzvoth in the Torah. Among these 613 are such beautiful concepts as proper treatment of the stranger and…
Yom Ha'atzmaut: Turning Dreams Into Reality
“When G-d brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like dreamers” (Psalms 126). Who would have believed that after 1,900 years—and a mere…
Shemini: Close to G-d
The deaths of Nadav and Avihu have long troubled biblical commentaries. The multiple suggestions put forth demonstrate that—objectively…