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…
Chagigah 5: The Gates of Tears
“Even though the gates of prayer are closed, the gates of tears are never closed”. With…
Chagigah 3: There Is Always Something New
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the Yamim Tovim, especially in Temple times, was the coming…
Ki Tavo: A Covenant of Love
With less than two weeks until Rosh Hashanah, the theme of teshuva begins to take centre…
What We Talk About When We Talk About War
In this, what was the summer of our discontent, it is worth looking at the words that were commonly…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Chagigah
The mitzvah of aliyah laregel--going up to Jerusalem on Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot--was a…
Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Moed Katan
The commitment to learn Daf Yomi is a remarkable one. It is the only study project I know that…
Moed Katan 28: Beyond Our Control
It is to be expected that, in a chapter dealing with the laws of mourning, a discussion of the…
Moed Katan 27: Leading By Example
No idea is stressed more in the Torah than that of being kind to strangers, “because we were…
Re'eh: Behind the Scenes
Showing extra sensitivity to the needs of the poor, the widow, orphan, servant, and stranger is a…
Ki Teitzei: Hit 'Em Less
What is the role of a Rabbi? When this question was asked to Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, author…
