“And He called to Moshe and G-d spoke to Moshe”. Noting the redundancy of this opening verse of the central book of the Torah, Rashi explains that…
Pekudei: Timing is Everything
“In the first month of the second year on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was erected” (Shemot 40:2). Sefer Shemot concludes with the…
Vayakhel: A Different Time Zone
“And G-d spoke to Moshe to say to the Jewish people: Ach, however: my Sabbaths you are to keep! For it is a sign between me and you, throughout your…
Tetzaveh: Pursuing Justice
“And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an efod, and a robe, and a quilted undercoat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they…
Terumah: The First of Adar
The first of Adar is a very special day. “Just as when Av begins one decreases rejoicing, so too when the month of Adar begins, one…
Mishpatim: The Ten Commandments
“And all the people saw the thunder, the lightning, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they were…
Yitro: Jealous and Jealous
Walk into almost any shul wherever one may be, and chances are one will see the “Ten Commandments[1]” on top of the aron kodesh. They are neatly…
Beshalach: Time for a Test
Along with the joy of teaching high school students comes the drudgery of marking tests – reading answers to the same questions over and over. While…
Bo: Time for a Change
One of the central tenets of our faith is the eternal relevance and unchanging nature of our Torah. The Torah is not only Divinely authored, it is an…
Va'eira: Equal Partners
"As G-d prepares to unleash the plagues on Egypt and redeem the Jewish people from bondage the Torah begins by listing the genealogy of Yaakov.…
Shemot: Giving Birth to Redemption
“In the merit of righteous women of that generation we were redeemed from Egypt” (Sotah 11b). Sefer Shemot introduces us to a number of righteous…
Vayechi: To Forgive or Not to Forgive
“What’s the bottom line” is an expression one often hears in so many areas of life. A coach maintains or loses his job based on how many wins or…
Vayigash: To Cry or Not to Cry
"He turned away from them and wept, he returned to them and spoke to them” (Breisheet 42:24). “Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with feeling…
Miketz: Yosef & Chanukah - A Tragic Saga?
“On Chanukah [we read] the [gifts] of the Neseeim, the leaders of the 12 tribes, [given upon the dedication of the Tabernacle” (Megillah 30b). And so…
Vayeshev: Brotherly Silence
When we think of the tragic story of Joseph and his brothers we realize it is just that, namely Joseph and his "brothers". "Joseph's brothers left to…
Vayetze: You Too, Yaakov!
One of the most famous of Biblical stories is that of Yaakov being tricked into marrying Leah by his uncle Lavan. It is so familiar that we often do…
Toldot: Turning 40
“And Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivka, the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean” (Breisheet…
Chayei Sarah: More than a Story
"The discussions of the servants of our patriarchs are more beloved than the Torah of their children” (Rashi, Breisheet, 24:22). This enigmatic…