I write these words as I sit looking out the window at the absolutely beautiful snow that adorns…
Beshalach: All Are Welcome
The book of Shemot details the emergence of the Jewish people as a nation. Though descending from…
Bo: My Dear Enemy
One of the great difficulties we often have is making a clear distinction between people and the…
Vaera: Let My Leader Lead
One often hears people bemoaning the dearth of leadership that seems to surround us. Whether it is…
Megillah 7: I'll Drink to That
One of the most well-known Talmudic passages of masechet Megillah is the teaching of Rava that “one…
Shemot: A Friend in Need
After years of tranquility in Egypt the inevitable happens and the plague of anti-Jewish decrees…
Megillah 4: Megillah, Take Two
“Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One is obligated to read the Megillah at night and lishnota, repeat…
Vayechi: Family Ties
One of the recurring and unfortunate themes of the book of Breisheet is that of sibling rivalry and…
Vayigash: Looking Ahead
Since the time of Yosef, infighting has been the Achilles heel of the Jewish people, causing untold…
From Taanit to Megillah
It would not be overstating the case to claim that the overarching goal of the Torah is creating a…
Mikeitz: The Storyline
Everybody likes a good story. This obvious truism explains why most of us find the book of…
Vayeshev: Parental Problems
Ma’aseh avot siman lebanim, the actions of our forefathers are a sign to the children.…
VaYishlach: Do Not Fear
"Yaakov was very frightened and distressed" (Breisheet 32:8). Hearing that his brother…
Ta'anit 4: Count to Ten
Whether one eats Special K or Rice Krispies (or scrambled eggs) for breakfast matters little. But…
Ta'anit 2: Rain for the New Year
“Meiemati, from when does one begin mentioning gevurat geshamim, the strength of the rain?” (Ta’…
Vayetze: The Complexity of Chesed
The Torah is a most complex work, and nowhere more so than in sefer Breisheet. Story after story…
Rosh Hashanah 25: When is Yom Kippur?
In the year 922CE a debate broke out that threatened to irrevocably cause the Jewish people to…
Toldot: Great Food
When discussing the themes of Sefer Beresheit one would not necessarily place food high on the list…