Much of Parshat Breisheet details the moral failings of many of the individuals whom we meet: Adam…
Yevamot 17: Are You Jewish?
The assimilation and subsequent loss of Jews has been a problem since the beginning of Jewish…
Yevamot 13: Learning to Differ
Our rabbis greatly extolled the virtues of arguments for the sake of heaven. In these disputes, the…
Hoshana Rabbah: Water Falls
"On the Yom Tov of the last day, we read 'Kol Habechor, every first born'" (Devarim 15:19, Megillah…
Yevamot 4: Conflicting Mitzvot
Life is full of conflicts, contradictions, and challenges ,and it is our task to mediate them as…
Sukkot: The Twin Pillars
Pesach and Sukkot are the twin pillars of the Jewish year. They are exactly six months apart, each…
Yevamot 2: Yours to Discover
Masechet Yevamot opens by listing the fifteen women who "exempt their co-wives and the co-…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Yevamot
Masechet Yevamot gets a bad rap. Many consider it amongst the most difficult masechtot to…
Some Concluding Thoughts on Seder Moed
The Jewish people had sinned, and their future stood in the balance. G-d'…
Yom Kippur: A Most Beautiful Day
"Rav Yochanan said: Were it not written in the text, it would be impossible for us to say…
Chagigah 16: Good Intentions, Bad Results
"The gates of repentance are always open". Yom Kippur is predicated on the possibility…
Chagigah 14: Acher, Please Return
One of the hallmarks of the Western world is its inclusiveness. Great attempts are made to make…
Rosh Hashanah: Do I Need to Pray?
"On Rosh Hashanah, we read 'on the seventh month on the first day', and the…
Chagigah 10: Where Is the Text?
A question I have often been asked by non-observant Jews runs as follows: Since cars were not yet…
Chagigah 9: FOMO--Don't Miss Out
With the beginning of selichot season (at least for Ashkenazim), we turn our thoughts to…
Vayelech: Looking Ahead
Imagine being told on your deathbed that your life’s work may be for naught. Moshe Rabbeinu…
