Raising an independent nation is no easy task. The generation that left Egypt was (understandably) not up to the task. Whether or not their children…
One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that of reward and punishment. Keep the mitzvoth and get rewarded. Violate the laws of the Torah and be…
“And these are the travels of the children of Israel”. We know little of many of the places the Jewish people encamped during their stay in the…
“And these are the travels of the children of Israel”. We know little of many of the places the Jewish people encamped during their stay in the…
The d'var Torah this week is dedicated in honour of the participants on the inspiring Journey Through Jewish History - Italy 2012. “And it was after…
This week's dvar Torah is sponsored by Golda Brown and Harry Krakowsky in memory of their dear son, Moshe Chanoch, obm. The law of the red heifer…
Like many a great leader, Moshe—the greatest of all leaders—had difficulty delegating authority. Knowing you can do the job better than…
Of all possible wrongdoings, only one does not allow for the possibility of teshuva, repentance. Causing a chilul Hashem, a desecration of G-d's…
Our tradition asserts that there are 613 mitzvoth in the Torah. Among these 613 are such beautiful concepts as proper treatment of the stranger and…
The deaths of Nadav and Avihu have long troubled biblical commentaries. The multiple suggestions put forth demonstrate that—objectively…
The Netziv, in his introduction to Sefer Shemot, notes that there is Gaonic tradition that refers to Shemot as chumash sheni, the second chumash.…
One of the fiercest debates amongst medieval biblical commentaries was the extent to which parts of the Torah might be allegorical. The Ramban (…
While there are various themes that run throughout Sefer Shemot, that of slavery is perhaps the central one. This notion is presented, with differing…
In his opening comment on the Bible, Rashi links the Creation story to that of the Exodus. Working on the assumption that the Torah is primarily a…
This week's dvar torah is being sponsored by Nolene and David Maresky and family in memory of Rina and Shim Maresky, and Jack Epstein z"l.…
This week's d'var Torah is sponsored by Al G. Brown and family in honour of the wedding of Anna-Rachel Brown Krakowsky to Marshall Haber, which will…
Location, location, location are the central pillars of real estate. The same can be said for Jews throughout history. One's location often…
“And these are the journeys of the people of Israel” (33:1). The Torah lists over 40 stops along the long and winding route the…
“And these are the journeys of the people of Israel” (33:1). The Torah lists over 40 stops along the long and winding route the…
The line between greatness and failure is so small as to be unrecognizable, often revealing itself only after many years. This is true in the world…
Our Rabbis saw a link between the spiritual sin of lashon hara, slander and gossip, and the physical disease of tzara'at. At the…
The primacy of Shabbat as the foundation stone of Judaism is self-evident. Shabbat is the culmination of the creation process; two distinct reasons…
We have all been taught that it is the holiday of Shavuot that commemorates the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Interestingly, nowhere is this…
Knowing the right people is, more often than not, the key to success in the modern world. We in North America refer to “connections”, but in Israel…