Our lives do not follow a straight line. They turn and then turn again. This re-turn (known in Jewish tradition as teshuvah, also translated as…
The stock market hates uncertainty. This helps explain the wild gyrations of the markets, unable to “decide” whether we are headed for a double-dip…
A legal brief and a good story are two very different forms of writing. We have even coined a term, legalese, to note the distinct writing style…
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One must be “thankful” when the news coming out of Israel is the high price of cottage cheese. As is so often the case, it is a relatively…
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…
As we have often noted, economic decisions reflect moral choices. As the world economy slowly recovers from near-catastrophe, another potential…
“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 sight of the CEO's of GM, Ford and Chrysler asking the Untied States Congress for 25 Billion dollars in aid as they flew to Washington on their…
Regardless of their personal piety (or lack thereof), Jewish law affirms that an almost superhuman level of respect be shown to our parents. What is…
The kashrut industry is about more than just food. In an industry where sales reach in the billions of dollars many of the largest food companies…
In its current form, the day school system is unsustainable. With tuition increases consistently at between two and three times the rate of inflation…
In its current form, the day school system is unsustainable. With tuition increases consistently at between two and three times the rate of inflation…
“It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining in B’nei Brak…
“It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining in B’nei Brak…
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…
It is hard to imagine a more impactful ritual than that of our weekly Torah reading. While its origins date to Moshe Rabbeinu—acting in his capacity…
Our Rabbis saw a link between the spiritual sin of lashon hara, slander and gossip, and the physical disease of tzara'at. At the…
Technological advances are rapidly changing the nature of almost all that we do. Many of the careers our children will pursue have yet to be invented…
In an almost unbelievable application of the verse, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, our Sages teach that one must give a convicted killer a “…
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…
It is rare indeed to look to professional athletes for moral guidance. We learned long ago that the extraordinary talents they possess are manifest…
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…
Our long sojourn in Egypt was meant to develop those character traits necessary to transform the Jewish people into G-d's special nation. We were…
“And Pharaoh awoke, he and all his officials and all the rest of Egypt. There was a great cry, as there was no house where there was no death…
“He kissed all his brothers and wept on their shoulders, and afterwards his brothers spoke with him” (45:14). What a change from twenty-two years…
We tend to assume that, with the recital of the shir shel yom, the daily psalm—or Aleinu if you daven nusach sefarad, Shacharit is over.…
We tend to assume that, with the recital of the shir shel yom, the daily psalm—or Aleinu if you daven nusach sefarad, Shacharit is over.…
One of the key aspects of the world of business is the crucial importance of the bottom line. And that is the way it should be. The primary—and some…
It is for good reason that co-wives are described as tzarot, literally, problems. Competing as they inevitably must for the same man, their…
In electing Rob Ford as mayor, voters in the city of Toronto have voted for change. Our mayor-elect has been most forthright in his plan of action,…
Our Sages assert that the Torah pre-dates the creation of the world, in essence serving as the architectural blueprint of creation. This is a…
This week’s d’var Torah is sponsored by Gershon and Leah Vandenbrink with best wishes for a joyous Sukkot. In rabbinic literature, Sukkot is known…
This week’s d’var Torah is sponsored by Gershon and Leah Vandenbrink with best wishes for a joyous Sukkot. In rabbinic literature, Sukkot is known…
The death of the righteous atones, our Sages teach, and it is for this reason that during Mussaf of Yom Kippur, just after recounting the special…
The death of the righteous atones, our Sages teach, and it is for this reason that during Mussaf of Yom Kippur, just after recounting the special…
“On Rosh Hashanah, it is written; and on Yom Kippur, it is sealed, who shall live and who shall die…” (Machzor). It is doubtful…
“On Rosh Hashanah, it is written; and on Yom Kippur, it is sealed, who shall live and who shall die…” (Machzor). It is doubtful…
The High Holiday period is one (we hope!) filled with introspection, reflection and a commitment to try to become a better person. Our religious…
The High Holiday period is one (we hope!) filled with introspection, reflection and a commitment to try to become a better person. Our religious…
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet recently announced the launch of the “Giving Pledge” campaign, asking that all billionaires in America donate at least…
I wrote the thought below on that last day of saying kaddish for my father, Harav Chaim Yosef ben Harav Zvi Yehudah, z"l, four years ago. It…
Sometimes the reason why one does something can be even more important than what was actually done. While our Sages note that one should strive to…
“And Terach’s years were 205 years, and Terach died in Charan. G-d said to Abram, Go away from your land, your birthplace and from…
“Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation” (6:9). It is hard to imagine a greater endorsement than that which the Torah gives to Noach.…
"In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth" (1:1). Light, sky, land, vegetation, animals and humans. The Torah's description of creation…