How sad when parents do not understand their children, and are unaware of what they’re up to.…
Shabbat 31b: One-Foot Judaism
One of the most famous Talmudic stories is that of the potential convert who conditioned his…
Shabbat 31: No Need to Cram
Having the questions of an exam in advance would seem to be a big advantage. Yet often, such…
The Joy of Mitzvoth: Shabbat 30
Rav Moshe Feinstein noted that one of the tragedies of American Jewish life was the common notion…
Alive in Our Memories: Shabbat 30
“The rabbis wanted to bury the book of Kohelet, as its words contradict one another” (30b). The…
Vayera: No Secrets
“And G-d said: Am I going to hide from Abraham that which I will do?” The city of Sedom was a…
Shabbat 22: Lights Out!
In an age before electricity, having light at night was no simple matter. While various forms of…
Election Fever
Once again we are in the midst of election fever. The upcoming (recently past when this is read) US…
To Forget Is Human: Shabbat 12
Human nature is to be forgetful, even in the midst of doing something. This human frailty is what…
Shabbat 10: In Your Court
While the prelude to the giving of the Torah is the establishment of a court system (see Shemot 18…
Shabbat 10a: Stop Praying Already
Two of our most fundamental mitzvoth are those of Tefillah, prayer and Talmud Torah…
Shabbat 6: The Hidden Scrolls
When discussing the transition of torah sheba’al peh from knowledge that was transmitted orally to…
Shabbat 3: Timely Questions
I had the privilege of learning in Rav Herschel Schachter’s shiur at Yeshiva University for four…
Breisheet: The Descent of Man
The creation narrative has the world in beautiful harmony. Heaven and earth, sky and water, sun…
Shabbat 2: Waiting Outside
Much of Masechet Brachot deals with non-legal matters - extolling the importance of prayers and…
Simchat Torah: Two Days or One?
This week’s d'var Torah is sponsored in honour of the 80th birthday of Bashi (Esther) Burack by her…
Brachot 61: For a Worthy Cause
The story of the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva is well known. Defying the orders of the Roman government…
Brachot 59: What a Blessing
One of the most well known blessings is that of dayan haemet, the blessing said upon the…