“And the Egyptians were burying all their first born, who had been killed by G-d” (…
Sanhedrin 3: Please Lend Me Some Money
“Dinei mammonot, monetary law [is adjudicated] with three [judges]; gezeilot vechavalot…
An Introduction to Sanhedrin
The opening Mishna of Masechet Sanhedrin explains the workings of a three-tiered court system. One…
Bava Batra 165: "I Don't Hold by the Eiruv"
In his 17th century collection of responsa (#93), the Chacham Tzvi, Rav Tzvi Ashkenazi, discusses…
Pinchas: Idolatry for Adultery
"And they called the people to their religious sacrifices, and the people ate and worshipped…
Bava Batra 145: I'm Coming to Your Wedding
“The brothers who were groomsmen, shoshbanim, during the lifetime of their father…
The Tuition Crisis: Let's Work Together
On Tuesday, June 20, the Toronto Jewish community joined together in a wonderful display of Jewish…
Bava Batra 144: Not in Heaven
Two of most central pillars of Jewish faith, G-d’s foreknowledge of all that will occur and…
Chukat: Unbelievable!
It is truly astounding how people can actually believe the most ludicrous of claims.
Bava Batra 141: I Love My Sister
There is something very special about being pregnant with one’s first child. One has…
Bava Batra 139: From Father to Daughter
One of the great disparities between the modern Western mode of thought and traditional Jewish…
Bava Batra 133: For You My Dear Child....Nothing
“One who writes his property for others [in his will] and leaves his children [with nothing]…
Behalotcha: Running Away
"The Israelites marched for a three day journey “mei'har Hashem”, from G-d…
Bava Batra 133: Oops! My Mistake
One of the differences one notices in teaching adults, as opposed to children, is that the former…
Time To Act: Birthright Education
First it was Leo Baeck, then it was TanenbaumCHAT and now it is Associated Hebrew Schools. Three…
Naso: To Be or Not to Be!
A fundamental question that has been debated since the beginning of Jewish history regards the…
Bava Batra 115: Younger and Wiser
One of the primary lessons of sefer Breisheet is that birth order matters little. Yitzchak, Yaakov…
Shavuot: Messianic Origins
“And these are the generations of Peretz…. Shalmon begot Boaz…and Yishai begot David" (Rut 4:18-22…