Masechet Ta'anit ends with a description of how, on the 15th of Av and on Yom Kippur, "the…
Balak: Dwelling Amongst the Nations
Perhaps no greater question has vexed the Jewish people as that of our relationship with the…
May G-d Comfort...
For most of the world, the year 1492 marks the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to…
Taanit 10: To Fast or Not to Fast
Sukkot marks the beginning of the rainy season, and Rabbi Eliezer opines that we should start…
Taanit 9: Give So You Can Get
"If not for my covenant, day and night, the laws of heaven and earth, I would not have created…
Taanit 7: The Wrong Reason
It is hard enough to do what is right. Our wants, desirers, egos, social pressure, and the like…
Taanit 7: Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away
Living in Canada, it is hard to get excited about rain. Often it puts a damper on nice summer plans…
Taanit 4: An Iron Fist
One of the most popular images in our tradition is that of a tree. Its many component parts reflect…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Taanit
"Memati mazkirin gevurat geshamim, from when do we begin to mention the power of rain?" (…
Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Rosh Hashanah
The last Mishnah in Masechet Rosh Hashanah quotes a debate between the Sages and Rabban Gamliel on…
Rosh Hashanah 29: Crying on Yom Tov
The fourth and last chapter of Masechet Rosh Hashanah focuses on the mitzvah of shofar and the…
Rosh Hashanah 29: A Split Personality
"Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh, all Jews are co-signers [responsible] for one another" (…
Rosh Hashanah 25: A Saving Kiss
G-d is known as kel mistater, a hidden G-d (Yishayahu 46:15). Being created in His image, man, too…
Rosh Hashanah 23: A Sweet Smell
There is a widespread custom to decorate our shuls with flowers in honour of Shavuot. This…
Shavuot: Why Were We Chosen?
"It was taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Why was the Torah given to the Jewish people?" (Beitzah…
Rosh Hashanah 18: Changing G-d's Mind
In the last couple of posts, we discussed the fact that many of our prayers are likely to have…
Rosh Hashanah 16b: Better Not Pray Too Much
We are familiar with the term iyun tefillah from our daily davening, where iyun…
Rosh Hashanah 16: Why Bother to Pray?
"At four times the world is judged: On Pesach for produce; on Shavuot for the fruit of the…