When it was still forbidden to write down the Oral Law, one of the very few written texts was that…
Vayikra: A Book of Love
Perhaps Man’s greatest fear is his ultimate irrelevance, that we really don’t make a…
Shabbat 10: A Special Gift
“Rava bar Machsseya said in the name of Rav Chama bar Gurya in the name of Rav: One who gives…
Pekudei: Time and Space
“And it was on first month of the second year on the first of the month that the Tabernacle…
Shabbat 4: Praying Alone
One of the hardest mitzvot to properly fulfil is that of rebuke, “hocheiach tocheech et…
Ki Tisa: The Golden Garden
"And the people saw ki boshesh Moshe, that Moshe delayed in coming down from the…
Shabbat 2: From Place to Place
“The carrying out on Shabbat are two that are four [for one] inside [a home] and two that are…
Purim: Time for a Change
Purim marks a transition point in Jewish history. It ushers in the time period of hester panim…
Brachot 55: People Power
Leadership is not for the faint of heart. A leader, by definition, must make decisions that are…
Terumah: Child's Play
Judaism sees the sparks of the Divine within the most mundane of activities. Revelation at Sinai is…
Brachot 48: Pumpkin, Pumpkin Look to the Sky
I imagine that many of us had elementary school classmates whom we knew were going to reach great…
Brachot 43: Learning from Tamar
We have often noted that the Talmud was edited with great precision. A simple example is the…
Brachot 43: Sweet Smells
When one is consumed with hatred, one is liable to act in ways that are out of the norm, to say the…
Mishpatim: Free the Slaves
One of the revolutions that Judaism brought to the world was its attitude towards, and its…
Brachot 31: Channa's Prayer
“Rav Hamnuna said: How many important halakhot can be derived from these verses of…
Brachot 29: The Simple Jew
“Our Sages taught: Shimon Hapekuli arranged the eighteen blessings before Rabban Gamliel…
Yitro: The Essence of Torah
Fulfilling G-d's commandments is the essence of Torah. "If not for my covenant, day…
Brachot 29: The Changing Nature of Prayer
It is hard to think of a mitzvah that has undergone as much change over time as that of prayer.…