There is no more powerful symbol than light in our tradition. It is how we usher in the Shabbat,…
Pesachim 13: Time for a Joke
In describing our Talmudic Sages, one would not put a sense of humour at the top of the list—…
Chanukah: Back to the Future
Mai Chanukah? What is Chanukah? the Talmud (Shabbat 21ba) queries, a question we find with respect…
Pesachim 8: Bathing In Jerusalem
The problem of theodicy—why a benevolent G-d allows so much evil to exist in this world…
VaYeshev: Coats and Goats
We tend to divide the Bible into narrative and law. The former teaches ethical and moral values…
Pesachim 6: 30 Days Notice
One of the principles of Biblical interpretation is that the Torah is not necessarily written in…
VaYishlach: Where Was Rivka?
One of the fascinating (and, at times, frustrating) aspects of the Torah is how much information it…
Pesachim 7: Let the Dough Rise
One of the requirements our Talmudic Sages set for the receiving of semicha, rabbinic…
Vayezei: Making One Pray
"And G-d saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb" (Breisheet 29:31). Apparently,…
Pesachim 2: Searching for Chametz
“On the eve of the fourteenth, we search for chametz by candlelight” (Pesachim 2a). I…
An Introduction to Masechet Pesachim
The task of editing involves critical decision-making. Beyond questions of language and syntax, an…
Toldot: A Wonderful Sin!
"When Eisav heard his father’s words he let out a most loud and bitter scream" (27:…
Eiruvin 100: Cats and Ants
Imagine if the Torah had not been given. While for many, such a thought is unthinkable—…
Chayei Sarah: Bring Her Home
“Yitzchak then brought her [Rivka] into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rivka as…
Chayei Sarah: In Memory of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l
I had the honour of sharing a few words in honour of Rabbi Sacks zt"l at the moving program…
VaYera: Family Ties
“Take your son, your only son, the one you love, v'lech lecha, and go for yourself to the…
For the Sake of Heaven
I often ask my high school students what they consider the most difficult mitzvah to observe. The…
Lech Lecha: On the Move
Sefer Breisheet might be described as the book of movement. Beginning with the heavenly spheres and…