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…
Yom Ha'atzmaut: Redemption and Return
Rav Soloveitchik was asked why our generation was the one to merit witnessing the creation of the State of Israel. After all, there were so many…
Terumah: The Moving Ark
Just as the Shabbat is the pinnacle of physical creation, the Mishkan is the pinnacle of spiritual creation. The Exodus and the revelation at Sinai…
Mikketz: Joseph's Pain
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, even…
VaYishlach: Changing Names
Names play a significant role in Jewish thought. A cursory glance at the names given to the twelve tribes signifies the importance of each name.…
VaYetze: Why Leave Home?
It is quite evident that Yitzchak and Rivka had differences of opinion regarding the difficult task of raising their twin boys. Their contradictory…
VaYera: Moderating Chesed
Judaism eschews extremism. This obligation to be moderate is codified into law by no less an authority than the Rambam; it is, as he points out, "the…
Breisheet: Science and Torah
“In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth” (1:1). Light, sky, land, vegetation, animals and humans: the Torah's…
Lech Lecha: The First Child
"Sarai said to Abram, 'G-d has kept me from having children. Come to my concubine; perhaps I will be built up through her'" (16:2…
Vayikra: Lasting Impressions
Modern psychological research has shown that infants begin processing information even before they are born, and impressions made on children have an…
Breisheet: Spin Doctor
Spin. The art of manipulating the facts to fit one's agenda has been fine-tuned in the era of mass media. Companies will pay millions…
Bamidbar: Blossoming Desert
The desert conjures up images of heat, hunger, thirst, wastelands and wandering, certainly not a place to stage important events. Yet it was in the…