"Rav Yirmiya ben Elazar said, there are three entrances to Gehenom: one in the desert, one in…
Eiruvin 17a: Pesach and the Salt of Sedom
"Four obligations were nullified in a [military] camp" (Eiruvin 17a). The Torah goes to…
Eiruvin 13b: Following Beit Shammai
It is well known that the halacha, with rare exceptions, follows the opinion of Beit Hillel…
Eiruvin 13a: Just One Letter
"When I [Rav Meir] came to Rabbi Yishmael, he said to me, 'My son, what is your occupation…
Eiruvin 6b: Choosing Your Rabbi
Traditionally, Jewish law allowed for a good deal of local autonomy in the application of Jewish…
Pesach: Shaping Tomorrow
Adam and Eve, Noach and his anonymous wife, Abraham and Sarah (and Hagar), Yitzchak and Rivka,…
Eiruvin 5a-6b: Building Fences
The halachic system, like most other disciplines, has both a theoretical framework and a practical…
Eiruvin 4a: Measuring Up
It is impossible, at least from a Jewish perspective, to understand the Bible without the tools to…
Eruvin 3: Stirring the Pot
"A pot with two cooks is neither hot nor cold" (Eruvin 3a). This popular folk saying is…
Some Opening Thoughts on Eruvin
Judaism has long recognized that we need both private and public space. Man is both an individual…
Shabbat 157: Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Shabbat
Masechet Shabbat deals primarily with the 39 forbidden activities on Shabbat--especially that of…
Shabbat 151: Waiting for Mashiach?
Since at least the time of the Rambam, Jews have yearned for the coming of the Mashiach.
Shabbat 147b: Sin City
"Rav Helbo said: The wine of Perugitha and the water of Diomsith cut off the Ten Tribes from…
Shabbat 140b: Don't Eat Your Vegetables
The next time your mother tells you to eat your vegetables, you might try explaining to her that…
Shabbat 145: Home and Away
When one studies Talmud, it is easy to forget that Sages quoted on the same page may actually have…
Shabbat 139: Guilty as Charged!
While we are unable to discern G-d's ways--and it behooves us to not even try--Talmudic rabbis…
Day School Tuition Is In the News, with the Canadian Jewish News Reporting on Two Recent Initiatives
Once again, the issue of day school tuition is in the news. The Leo Baeck Day School (North Campus…
Parshat Zachor: Defeating Amalek
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you left Egypt” (Devarim 25:17). Amalek is the…