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…
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…
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…