After discussing the general topic of nedarim, vows, the Mishna moves to a most…
Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Nedarim
One of the primary messages of masechet Nedarim is how negatively [most of] our Sages viewed the…
Nedarim 80: Don't Forget the Laundry
Just this past Shabbat, we read of the mitzvah of tzedakah. The Torah describes the case…
Nedarim 81: The Next Generation
Adam and Cain, Noah and Cham, Abraham and Yishmael, Yitzchak and Eisav. Our children do…
Nedarim 66: Miss Israel
Everybody loves a good story. And what one cannot accomplish through direct teaching, one can…
Eikev: A Little Humility
Moshe Rabbeinu was a most humble person. We know this because the Torah tells us so, the only trait…
Nedarim 66: For the Children
"One may use as an opening [to annul a vow] one's own honour or the honour of…
Nedarim 64: I Didn't Mean It
"If only I would have known.." After many pages delineating the parameters of…
Nedarim 62: Can You Leave Me Alone?
It is always fascinating how a most technical, even obscure, discussion can reveal and lead to a…
Nedarim51: What a Party!
It is not uncommon for someone to lose their job due to something stupid they do at an office…
Nedarim 50: What Have You Been Drinking?!!?
Sadly, some people need stimulants--be they (legal) alcohol or (illegal) drugs--to stimulate…
Nedarim 40: Time for a Visit
At first glance one would not expect a Talmudic discussion on the mitzva of bikkur cholim…
Nedarim 37: Benefiting From Torah
Over the past generation - primarily in Israel but also to a lesser extent in the Diaspora - there…
Mattot: Moshe and Midian
"G-d spoke to Moses, saying: Take revenge for the Israelites against the Midianites. …
Thoughts from Poland: Part 5
The Ramah, Rav Moshe Isserles, is probably the most famous and important figure to have lived in…
Thoughts from Poland: Shabbat in Krakow
Shabbat in Krakow. A city of glory, like almost no other in Jewish history. The Jewish quarter…