Symbols play a crucial role in self and group identification and affect almost everything we do. Be they roses or a diamond ring, symbols can…
Mishpatim: Divine Justice, Human Mercy
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot” (Shemot 21:24). Perhaps no Biblical verse has generated as…
Yitro: Yes and No
Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe lei'mor is the most commonly occurring verse of the Bible. While it is usually translated as, “G-d spoke to…
Vaera: The Sons of Korach
The initial meeting between Moshe and Pharaoh did not go well. The workload placed on the poor Jewish slaves was increased, and more importantly, the…
VaYeshev: Respectfully Declined
“And Yaakov ripped his garments and put sackcloth on his loins, and he mourned for his son many days” (Breisheet 37:34). Thinking—…
VaYishlach: Alone at Night
“Therefore, the Jewish people will not eat the gid hanasheh, sciatic nerve, that is on the hip joint, to this day” (Breisheet…
Toldot: A Second Famine
“And there was a famine in the land, aside from the first famine that was in the days of Avraham...And G-d appeared to him [Yitzchak] and said…
VaYerah: Living in Sedom
“And the people of Sedom were evil and sinners towards G-d beyond all measure” (Breisheet 13:13). Despite their depravity, Avraham Avinu…
Lech Lecha: Counting Sheep
"And there was an argument between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock, and the Canaanite and the…
V'zot HaBracha: A Man of G-d
Even though Parshat Vezot Ha'beracha is read over and over again during Simchat Torah it is probably one of the least understood and studied…
Haazinu: Action Reaction
Jewish thought teaches that the physical and spiritual worlds are meant to function harmoniously. Both are essential, and a proper balance must be…
Nitzavim: Near and Dear
One of the most vexing issues in Biblical interpretation is the relationship between pshat, loosely translated as the plain meaning of the Biblical…
Ki Tavo: The Presence of G-d
In the secular world in which we live it can be—and often is—hard to feel the presence of G-d. The Western world has turned religion into…
Ki Teitzei: Demanding More
When studying Torah we must study not only its content, but also its form; not just what the Torah says, but also how it says it. Proper study…
Shoftim: Enabling Evil
Evil does not exist in a vacuum. A culture is needed for evil to be nurtured, in which it can grow and develop. And when that happens,…
Re'eh: Springtime
“Guard the month of the spring, and make Pesach to the Lord your G-d, because it was in the month of the spring that the Lord your G-d took you out…
Chukat: Time to Talk
Parshat Chukat marks the transition from the generation that left Egypt to the one that would enter the Land of Israel. This was a transition marked…
Korach: Holy and More Holy
The Torah was "edited" with great precision. Narrative and law are often intertwined; one sheds light on the other. While our tradition…