In order to be effective, leaders must be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of the general populace. It is not only fact, but also perception…
Bechukotai: Truth and Consequences
Judaism demands that we do what’s right because it’s right, without thought of recognition or reward. Similarly, our avoidance of wrong should…
Behar: Interest Rates are Falling
“I am the Lord your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt”. While we associate these words with the first of the aseret hadibrot, the words…
Emor: We Are All Kohanim
Sefer Vayikra deals with the role of the Temple and that of the Kohanim in Jewish life. So it seems quite strange that the laws of the five Biblical…
Kedoshim: No Mercy Allowed
Commenting on the Torah's charge "to be holy, since I the Lord your G-d am holy" (Vayikra, 19:2) the Ramban explains that it is not enough to…
Acharei Mot: Good Friends
“Do not follow the ways of Egypt, where you once lived” (Vayikra 18:2). The Jewish people's formative years were those spent in the land of Egypt,…
Metzora: Home Sweet Home
The home plays a critical—if not the critical—role in the development of Jewish life. The efforts of schools, shuls, camps, Israel trips, and the…
Tazria: The Cycles of Life
During Jewish leap years, Parshat HaChodesh, the special maftir portion we read on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, generally…
Shmini: A Tale of Two Stories
"Moshe said to Aharon: This is what G-d meant when He said I will be sanctified amongst those who are nearest to me” (Vayikra 10:3). So we…
Tzav: Sacrifices and the Spoken Word
If one were to survey 100 Jews and ask them their least favourite book of Torah it is likely that the vast majority of them would say sefer…
Vayikra: Time to Remember
One of the fiercest debates amongst Biblical commentators of the medieval period was to what extent, if at all, parts of the Torah may be seen as…
Pekudei: Back to the Future
Often it is the crises of life that strengthen us. By confronting the challenges that surround us, we emerge more resilient and wiser from the…
Vayakhel: Talking Torah
"There is no man on earth of such righteousness that does good and is free from sin" (Kohelet 7:20). Being human means to sin, and since G-d created…
Ki Tisa: Talking Torah
“G-d said to Moses, ‘Write these words for yourself, ki al pi hadevarim, since it is through these words that I have made a covenant with you…
Tetzaveh: A New Wardrobe
The billions of dollars spent by the fashion industry, not to mention the celebrity status of fashion gurus, testify to the importance attached to…
Terumah: Working Together
The Torah is a description of the relationship between G-d and man, and between G-d and the Jewish people. The Torah begins with G-d’s creation of…
Mishpatim: Serving Man, Serving G-d
How does one come close to G-d? How can one hold on to great religious experiences as we go through the daily routine of life? This was the problem…
Yitro: Man and G-d
In his categorization of mitzvot, the Rambam lists as the first mitzvah belief in G-d. He begins his monumental code by telling us that “…