People have a natural tendency to avoid talking about death. People "pass away" or are "no longer…
Reflections on a Yahrzeit
The thought below is written in honour my father z”l, Rabbi Joseph Kelman, Rav Chaim Yosef ben…
Korach: Don't Blame Me
What does it take to convince somebody that they are wrong? Humans have an unbelievable ability to…
Pirkei Avot: Let's Start at the Beginning
In our introductory post to Pirkei Avot we wondered why Rebbe, in editing the Mishna, did not begin…
An Introduction to Pirkei Avot
Last year and this, I have had the pleasure of learning and teaching Pirkei Avot. There is no…
Shelach Lecha: Blame Game
Who should get the blame for the meraglim fiasco? Was it the report of the spies, or the lack of…
Behaalotcha: Silence is Golden
After reading through Sefer Breisheet and the sibling rivalry we encounter in generation after…
Yoma 38: The Printing Press
“Talmud Torah k’neged kulam, Torah study equals them all”. And in our tradition, learning equates…
Bamidbar: Names and Numbers
Parshat Bamidbar is, on its surface, little more that names and numbers. The bulk of the parsha…
Yoma 23: Misplaced Priorities
In our last post, we discussed the tragic murder carried out in the Temple by a religious zealot…
Yom Yerushalayim: Where is Jerusalem?
One could quite reasonably make the argument that the overarching goal of the Torah is the…
Yoma 23: The Height of Impurity
Newton’s third law of motion teaches that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction…
Bechukotai: Coming Home
The ability of the Jewish people to see hope when others see despair is perhaps the key to…
Yoma 18: Will You Marry Me
We have often noted the refreshing openness of our Sages. They tell it as it is, and made no…
Emor: The Animal Kingdom
When one thinks of the most important parts of the Torah one is likely to think of the aseret…
Yoma 9: Sins of Omission
When discussing the gravest of sins—say, for example, the three cardinal sins of murder, adultery…
Kedoshim: Holiness and Happiness
Knowledge is much more than the accumulation of facts. It is the analysis and application of those…
From Pesachim to Yoma
In a rather fortuitous coincidence, the daf yomi cycle concluded masechet Pesachim just a few days…