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…
Tazria: Back to the Beginning
Perhaps there is no parsha less studied than Tazria (and its frequent partner, Metzora).…
Yom Haatzmaut: Stuck in Traffic
A few years ago while on a visit to Israel, my good friend Michael Levenstein z”l, in whose memory…
Shmini: The Sounds of Silence
Modern society often expects people to keep their emotions in check and to avoid displaying them…
Pesach: Egyptian Economic Activity
Moshe Rabbeinu was our teacher par excellence. As a great pedagogue, he understood the importance…
Pesach: Don't Forget Yosef
The eating of karpas has long baffled our commentators. Why exactly do we dip a vegetable…
Pesachim 114: Lets Drink Some Wine
While “only” a rabbinic command, drinking four cups of wine is given special status at…
Vayikra: Time to Reflect
When making reference to biblical verses, we tend to identify them by chapter and verse. This most…
Pesachim 113: Crossing the Line
There is a fine line between matzah and chametz. They are, by definition, made of the same…
Parshat Hachodesh: Timing is Everything
“In the first month of the second year on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was erected…
Pesachim 99: Wine for the Poor
The most repeated mitzvah in the Torah—and hence, one can argue, the most important …