Amongst the most obscure laws of the Torah are those of erachin, which form the subject…
Naso: Counting Our Blessings
A Jew is commanded to recite one hundred blessings each and every day (Menachot 43b). We need…
Bechorot 35: Child's Play
The toy industry has come a long way since Talmudic times. Perhaps the most popular "toy…
Bechorot 34: Here Comes A Cow
When a kosher animal gives birth to a bechor, a firstborn male, there is an inherent conflict…
Shavuot: A Forced Torah?
Our attitude towards Torah is a most fickle one. On the one hand, we demonstrated great faith in…
Bamidbar: What's in a Name?
Sefer Bamidbar opens with names and numbers, a theme that continues throughout the book; hence its…
Bechorot 30: Kosher Style
It is highly unlikely that one would give repeat business to a supposedly kosher butcher who sold…
Bechukotai: Casual Relationships
Twice a year, before Shavuot and Rosh Hashana, we read the tochecha, the list of dire consequences…
Bechorot 29: May I Have a Raise
How much should we pay teachers? As we discussed in our last post, the Gemara has a clear and…
Bechorot 29: Free Legal Services
In our last post, we discussed the need to have an expert examine a bechor in order to…
Behar: Working for G-d
The Torah was wary of the employer-employee relationship. Almost by definition, an employee is not…
Bechorot 28: Donkeys for Sale
A rabbi, dayan, shochet, doctor, and matir bechorot—these are some of the …
Bechorot 25: Bad Politician: Great Teacher
Sometimes the most obscure of arguments can teach the greatest of lessons. That Rabbi Eliezer…
Bechorot 13: All Mitzvot Are Not Created Equal
It is not uncommon to hear people define a mitzvah as a “good deed”. And there is…
Yom Haatzmaut: Thoughts at Seventy-One
The period of sefirat haomer has undergone great transformation over the ages. In the…
Acharei-Mot, Or Is It Kedoshim?
For those who write divrei Torah, the next few months will be a bit challenging and will…
Acharei-Mot: A Word Apart
“Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am the Lord your G-d: Do not follow…
Bechorot 2: All Are Welcome
Amongst the many wonderful opportunities and challenges wrought by the return of the Jewish people…