“Rabbi Elai said: A person is recognized through three ways: b’koso, b’kiso…
Eiruvin 65: Davening Less, Learning More
Two of the most fundamental mitzvot are those of prayer and Talmud Torah. Observant Jews pray three…
Breisheet: Guardians of the Garden
"G-d took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it, l'ovdah, and…
Shmini Atzeret: A Dual Holiday
The Jewish holidays have two distinct themes. The shalosh regalim, three pilgrim festivals of…
Sukkot: Leading by Example
For many years, students were introduced to the study of Talmud with Eilu Metziot, the second…
Eiruvin 53: Curriculum Planning
“One cannot compare one who learns the chapter 100 times to one who learns it 101 times…
Sukkot: A Very Open Sukkah
For seven days a year, one is to “make his home temporary and his Sukkah permanent”.…
The Sukkah of Yom Kippur
As important (if not more so) as what one says is how it is said, when it is said, and what is not…
Yom Kippur: Long Term Planning
“We work and get reward and they work and do not get reward?” This statement, said when…
Haazinu: The Joy of Sinning
Sinning is meant to be enjoyable. If not, there would be no point to it. How ironic, then, when a…
Aseret Yemi Teshuva: The Freedom to Choose
“In a place where ba’alei teshuva stand there, not even the fully righteous can stand…
Rosh Hashanah: Time for Change
Man has a tremendous capacity for self-deception. We easily see faults in others; somehow, we miss…
Some Thoughts on This Year's Yamim Noraim
The Yamim Noraim of the year 70 must have been quite traumatic. The Temple had been destroyed less…
Vayelech: Naming Rights
We tend to think that the names of the weekly parshiot have little intrinsic meaning; they are just…
Eiruvin 30: Eating Together
One of the hardest hit industries of the pandemic has been the restaurant industry. Many…
Ki Tavo: Language Barriers
Those of us living in Canada are especially sensitive to the importance of language to the fabric…
Ki Teitzei: Let's Make a Deal
"All of man's earnings are decreed on Rosh Hashanah, except for expenses regarding…
Shoftim: Words are Not Enough
"The hand of the witnesses should be against him first to put him to death, and the hand of…