"If you really want to do me a kindness... act towards me with truth and kindness and do not bury me in Egypt" (47:29). So begins Yaakov's…
Lech Lecha: Informed Consent
Judaism and modern western thought both teach the supremacy of man's freedom of choice. For modern man, freedom is rooted in the notion of…
Tetzaveh: Nameless, But Not Forgotten
What's in a name? Clearly, names played an important role to our Biblical ancestors. The names of Chava, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov…
Shemot: No Names
Sefer Shemot, literally, “book of names”, seems to be a misnomer for our Parsha. (Rabbinic writings often refer to it as “book of redemption…
Vayigash: Simple Faith
After twenty-two difficult years, Yaakov was informed that his beloved son Yosef was the Viceroy of Egypt. Overcome with joy and disbelief, Yaakov…
VaYetze: Ignoring G-d's Promise
Yaakov Avinu was on the run. Forced to leave home after "stealing" the birthright from his brother, he was attempting to stay one step ahead of Eisav…
Toldot: Raising Children
There is no greater challenge than that of raising refined children. It is a task with so many variables and fraught with such difficulty that many a…
Chayei Sarah: Beyond Death
Our patriarchs and matriarchs did not have easy lives. Each faced problems of famine, of wandering from place to place, of foreign rulers, and of…
Ekev: The Big Bribe
The greatness of a person is revealed by the little things that one does. The greater the person, the more he or she is concerned with little things…
VaEtchanan: It's Your Fault
"And G-d was angry at me for your sakes (lemanchem) and would not hear me. And G-d said to me, Enough! Do not speak to me any more about this” (3:26…
Tisha B'Av: Evading Responsibility
“But the Second Temple, that they were involved in Torah and Mitzvoth and Gemilot Chasadim (loving kindness), why was it destroyed? Because it…
Chukat: Dying of Thirst
One of the most beautiful and impactful aspects of the Torah is its description of the humanity of its protagonists. Their strengths and struggles,…
Yom Yerushalayim: Sason and Simcha
Numbers play a significant, if usually symbolic, role in Jewish thought. Perhaps the most symbolic number is seven, representing completeness; the…
Beha'alotcha: It's Good to Complain
One of the causes for disappointment with the generation that left Egypt was their constant complaining. Each week, as we study Sefer Bamidbar…
Shavuot: A New Holiday
The shalosh regalim of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot are a celebration of great historic events coupled with the recognition of G-d's role in our…
Emor: Religious Secularism
Two of the most dangerous threats to society are religious fanaticism and rampant secularism. The dangers of the former have received more attention…
Lech Lecha: Finding G-d
"G-d said to Abraham, ‘Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you…
Korach: Honour the Enemy
The name Korach is synonymous with Machloket shelo leshem shamoyim, arguments that are not for the sake of heaven. As we read how Korach and his…