We are all products of—and greatly influenced by—our environments, which is why our…
Re'eh: A Special Place
The land of Israel is a special, holy land and thus, all produce grown on it has properties of…
Sanhedrin 22: A Beautiful Font
Malcolm Gladwell, in his best-selling book Outliers, delineates how much of one's success…
Sanhedrin 21: What is the Reason?
I have long thought that far and away the best introduction to and overview of Judaism is the …
Sanhedrin 19: Cemetery Etiquette
One of the areas of law that even otherwise non-observant Jews tend to observe are those relating…
Sanhedrin 17: Where Should We Live?
Marshall McLuhan, the insightful Canadian philosopher, noted that with the rapid advances in…
Sanhedrin 15: The Ox and I
Perhaps the fundamental difference between the Written Law and the Oral Law is that the former is…
Sanhedrin 14: I Want a Real Rabbi
One of the fiercest debates in medieval Jewish history was engendered by the attempt to reinstate…
Sanhedrin 11: Humble Pie
It is in times of crisis that strong leadership is most needed. And up to that point in Jewish…
Sanhedrin 11: Please Don't Embarrass Me
When things go well all are ready to take credit, even if they had little or no role to play in the…
VaEtchanan: The People and Moshe
“At that time I pleaded with G-d, saying, ‘O G-d, Lord…please let me cross the…
Sanhedrin 11: An Extra Long Summer
Up until this point in Masechet Sanhedrin, we have been discussing the role of the court in…
Sanhedrin 8: We Want Justice
Moshe Rabbeinu was about to die. Like many before him, he wanted to bless his “children…
Devarim: Heading Home
The narrative portion of the Torah has come to an end. The last book of the Chumash, that…
Sanhedrin 7: The Wisdom of the Simple Man
“Rabbi Chaninah says: I learned much from my teachers, and from my colleagues more than my…
Sanhedrin 6: Truth or Peace?
“Thus said the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth [month] (17 Tammuz ), and the fast…
Sanhedrin 5: Professional Courtesy
How much would you be willing to sacrifice for the honour of another? Some money, a little bit of…
Sanhedrin 4: Please Read it Out Loud
“Rav Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, established the covenant with the Jewish…