"And on the seventh month on the first day of the month, it shall be a day of rest. It is a sacred…
Nitzavim: Pass the Water
"You are standing this day all of you before the Lord your God: your heads, your tribes,…
Keritot 28: Please Go First
“Rabbi Shimon says: Kevasim, lambs, precede se’irim, goats, in all places…
A Tribute to Rav Binyamin Tabory z"l
The transition from elementary to high school was quite a jarring one. My school day was some two-…
Keritot 28: And All Its Pathways Are Peace
Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, when asked to define the main role of a rabbi, responded that it is to help…
Ki Tavo: Speak Up
One of the key aspects of our being created in the Divine image is the gift of speech. As the world…
Keritot 25: When in Doubt
One brings a korban for one of two reasons: either because one wants to or because one has to. One…
Ki Teitzei: On The Way
Until modern times, travel was viewed as something best avoided. It was slow, uncomfortable, and…
Keritot 13: Under the Influence
In our last post, we discussed the serious prohibition of issuing halachic rulings after having had…
Shoftim: Nothing to Fear
The basic duty of every government is to provide security and protect its citizens from both…
Keritot 13: Let's Not Drink to That
Jewish tradition teaches that we are to celebrate joyous occasions—Shabbat and Yom Tov,…
Keritot 8: The Rabbinic Market
The most basic rule of economics is that of supply and demand. The interaction between these two…
An Introduction to Masechet Keritot
“One should be as careful with a light mitzvah as with heavy mitzvah” (Avot 2:1). …
Eikev: A Long Journey
"According to the days that you spent exploring the land, forty days, a year for a day, you…
Philanthropy Works: We Just Need More of It
Hillel Rapp has identified a serious impediment to solving the tuition crisis—…
Tu BAv: Coming Together
One of the lessons Nehama Leibowitz, z”l, drilled into us during the time I was fortunate to…
VaEtchanan: Learning to Read
Our Torah encompasses all aspects of life: it regulates our existence from the day we are born…
Devarim: Equality for All
With old age comes knowledge of life that can only be gained by experience. Thus, Jewish law…