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…
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…
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…
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…