“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…
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…
The government of Italy recently completed their third tax amnesty in the past eight years. The amnesty—which was only on undeclared income held…
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…
Just as we thought the recession was over and that economies around the world had turned the corner we are witness to charges of fraud against…
The issue of heath care, specifically the economics of health care, has taken a central role recently both here and south of the border. Like it or…
Corporate restructuring in the private sector usually entails job cuts and often increased demands on the “unaffected” employees. However for those…
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…
All too often the financial news, especially when viewed from an ethical perspective is disheartening. The Talmudic adage that all sin with regard 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.…
From an ethical perspective this past year has not been a very good one. There has been a seemingly endless stream of scandals involving money…
"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…
After forty years of wandering in the desert, the Jewish people were finally ready to enter the land of Israel. Their experience in the desert and…
Issues of church and state—especially in the United States, with its constitutional separation of these two realms—are always controversial, often…
After 40 long and, with important exceptions, mostly uneventful years, the Jewish people stood poised to enter the Promised Land. Undoubtedly, they…
Rav Yisroel Salanter, the 19th century ethicist, noted that it takes much more moral strength to be a businessman with integrity than to be a rabbi.…
It takes great moral strength to be a public servant. As guardians of the public purse they must decide where to spend money and equally importantly…
Like most children growing up in Canada, hockey was a beloved part of my childhood. Doing my best imitation of Bobby Hull (for some strange reason I…
Our Sages equated farming with faith. Only a man of faith could put in months of backbreaking labour, knowing full well that all his efforts could go…
One of the cardinal principles of Judaism is the belief in the Divine origin of our Bible. While Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest of human beings, his…
For weeks the GM and Chrysler have been warning that unless their workers make major wage concessions the companies will be forced to file for…
Family feuds, especially around money, can get very nasty. Throw in some religious tension and watch the sparks fly. A nasty court battle is ongoing…
Tzedakah has become big business. With the amazing amounts of wealth created in the post war period (the recession notwithstanding we are blessed to…
This week's d’var Torah is sponsored by Dr. Charles and Nathalie Piwko in observance of the yahrzeit of Charlie's mother, ob”m, and in celebration of…
The proliferation of technology has added new meaning to the Talmudic teachings that “there is a seeing eye, a hearing ear and all our actions are…
Our Sages, ever so perceptive of human nature, note that a person reveals his true self through his “pocket, his drink and his anger (b’kiso, koso,…
"And they did not listen to Moshe, from short spirit and hard work" (7:9). Moshe had a daunting dual task before him. Not only did he need to…
"If you really want to do me a kindness... act towards me with truth and kindness and do not bury me in Egypt" (47:29). So begins Yaakov's…
With the drop in net worth that many have experienced I had planned to write about the need for even greater efforts of tzedaka. With so many more…
As the financial markets continue on their wild rides analysts form all walks of life continue debating the causes which led to the meltdown hoping…
“Whomever has a hundred desires two hundred” our Sages declare with their keen insight into human nature. Tragically we are witness to those who have…
Judaism and modern western thought both teach the supremacy of man's freedom of choice. For modern man, freedom is rooted in the notion of…
Tragically natural disasters are a relatively common occurrence. The scene is familiar – pictures of destruction and death, with pale looking…