“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 …

Pesachim 99: To Lean or Not to Lean
“On the eve of Pesachim, one may not eat adjacent to mincha time until it gets dark; …

Ki-Tisa: Where is Moshe
The mark of a great leader is the ability to inspire others—even in their absence. A great company…

Pesachim 99: What's to Eat
“On the eve of Pesachim, one may not eat adjacent to mincha time until it gets dark” (…

Tezaveh: Beyond Clothes
One of the key ways by which groups self-identify is through the medium of clothes. Almost all…

Purim: Shaping Jewish History
Rare is the person who has the opportunity to knowingly shape the course of Jewish history. Most…

Parshat Zachor: Defeating Evil
"He shall surely be put to death." "They shall be pelted with stones and thus stoned to death…

Pesachim 66: Anger Management
Judaism eschews extremism. “The two extremes in each and every tendency are not a good…

Pesachim 66: A Wise Leader
The Shulchan Aruch, the most accepted code of Jewish law, consists of four sections: Orach Chaim,…

Mishpatim: Sequel to Sinai
It is common after a major event to have difficulty getting back into our daily routine. Whether it…

Yitro: A Perfect Ten
In the Western world, the number ten represents perfection. Not surprisingly, this concept seems to…

Beshalach: Who's Up First
The problem of theodicy—why there is evil in this world—has bothered thinking people…

Pesachim 50: Time to Work
There is a fascinating debate amongst the medieval greats as to whether one is obligated to act…

Pesachim 50: That's My Minhag
In one of his teshuva derashot, Rav Soloveitchik lamented the fact that, while there are many…

Bo: The First Born
In the non-egalitarian society of the Bible, it was evident that the bechor, the firstborn…

Pesachim 49: A Great Family
Language is much more than a method of communication. It conveys the values and culture of those…

Pesachim 50: A Very Clear World
I am on occasion asked by my (generally non-observant) students questions about the afterlife…