“And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds…
Reflections on Daf Yomi Turning 100
Rosh Hashanah marked 100 years of Daf Yomi. I have seen surprisingly little written about this…
Yom Kippur: Sinning Under Duress
“For the sin we sinned before You, b’ones u’beratzon, under duress and willingly. So…
Haazinu: Calling G-d's Name
“Haazinu Hashamayim vadebera, vatishma haaretz imrei pi, Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the…
Rosh Hashanah: Come Together
“Ubechen, Please G-d instill pachdecha, terror upon all Your works and eimatecha, Your dread upon…
Nitzavim: Water and Wood
"You are standing this day all of you before the Lord your God: your heads, your tribes, your…
Ki-Tavo: The Joy of Gratitude
Why does misfortune befall the Jewish people? While there is no simple answer – or perhaps no…
Ki-Teze: Helping our Enemies
One of the beautiful aspects of our Torah is the fact that it deals with real-life issues, and with…
Some Thoughts on Becoming Grandparents
The thoughts below are dedicated in celebration of the birth of our granddaughter, Tikva…
Shoftim: The High Court
Long before Lord Acton, the Torah well understood that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts…
Eikev: Time for Awe
One of the primary goals of the Torah is the inducement of fear of heaven. “Now what does Hashem,…
Tu B'Av: Time to Dance
Our holidays form natural units, as none truly stand alone. The 49 days of the omer link…
Va'etchanan: from Egypt to Israel
“Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I…
Tisha B'Av: Before the Law
“Rav Yochanan said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they followed the laws of the Torah” (Bava…
Devarim: A Man of Words
“Moshe said to the Lord, "I beseech You, O Lord. Lo ish devarim anochi, I am not a man of words,…
Mattot: The Land of Our People
“And a lot of livestock did the children of the Reuven and Gad have and they saw the Ya’azer, and…
Pinchas: A Leader for All
While it is undoubtedly true that people get the leaders they deserve, it is also true that great…