One of the most important life decisions we make is the choice of a career. As Judaism is most concerned with so many of the minor decisions we make…
"Do not judge a person until you are in his place." (Avot 2:5) We unfortunately live in a very judgmental (Jewish) world where…
One of the rules of Rashi's commentary to the chumash, made famous by Nehama Leibowitz z"l, is that Rashi brings a second explanation…
One of the fascinating, exciting even suspenseful aspects of learning Gemara is how a detailed discussion on the minutiae of Jewish law can…
In our last post we discussed the unusual situation, to say the least, of a father or even the daughter herself being unable to recall to…
You have to wonder sometimes about the strange relationships between parents and children. While parents may not always know where their…
A poor person who is examining a piece a cake and another comes and takes it from him is called evil.” (Kiddushin 59a) All legal systems…
If you are going to have someone do work for you it's probably best to ensure they have your best interests at heart. "One who says to his…
"The signature of G-d is truth." (Shabbat 55b) As beings created in the image of G-d we too are expected to be the epitome of integrity.…
"If you want something done right do it yourself" is a nice idea in theory but one with limited applications. It is not possible for any…
We are creatures of habit. We tend to do what we have done in the past, which is why it is so important to get things right the first time. Learn it…
There is no more tragic figure in Talmudic literature than that of Acher, the Other. Destined for greatness, the teacher, colleague and friend of…
In our last post we discussed the extraordinary efforts to which Dama ben Netinah went to honour his father including his willingness to…
There are few mitzvoth more important than that of kivud av veim, honouring parents. “Our Rabbis taught: There are three partners…
Our evil inclination is most powerful and capable of causing so much harm. So much so that when G-d saw “that the inclination of man is bad…
Practice what you preach is always sound advice, especially if one hopes to have any influence on others. This axiom is more than a moral…
"More than the calf wants to suck, the cow wants to give milk.” (Pesachim 112a) So said Rabbi Akiva to…
One of the best-known "facts" about the Torah is that it contains 613 mitzvoth. Even Jews who are not very learned tend to…
"From here it was said: Whoever acquires a Hebrew slave is as if they acquired a master for themselves." (Kiddushin 20a) "…
One of the sacred and most enjoyable aspects of the rabbinate is being amesader kiddushin, joining two people together in marriage. Yet for many…
One of the "new" approaches to Tanach study today is the use of literary tools and analysis to help us better understand the Torah itself…