Bava Kama Jul 18, 2016

  “The ox of a Jew who gores the ox belonging to the Temple or the ox of the Temple that gores the ox of the Jew they are exempt from…

Germany Jul 17, 2016

On May 12, 2015 Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel, addressed the German parliament--fifty years to the day of the…

Bava Kama Jul 11, 2016

  Correlation does not imply causation - though it may be just that. It is not always easy to distinguish between two events that, while…

Jul 10, 2016

The current model of day school funding where tuition is charged for each and every student is clearly broken. Tuitions have been rising at 2-3 times…

Bava Kama Jul 8, 2016

Slow down. Such would be good advice for those trying to navigate a busy street. Running down the street in any major urban area is not recommended…

Bava Kama Jul 5, 2016

  In our previous posts we discussed the difference between an ox classified as a tam, a domesticated animal who is not at risk of…

Bava Kama Jul 3, 2016

“The victim and the perpetrator share in the [payment] of damages.” (Bava Kamma 14b) Being a victim of an accident is never pleasant…

Shelach Lecha Jul 1, 2016

Parshat Shelach Lecha details a most familiar story. The tragic events surrounding the mission of the meraglim forced Bnei Yisrael to…

Bava Kama Jun 27, 2016

One would not expect to connect Miriam’s speaking negatively against Moshe, read (at least in the Diaspora) this past Shabbat, with the laws…

Bava Kama Jun 26, 2016

One of the basic differences between the religious and civil laws of the Torah is while the former are mandatory the latter are not necessarily so…

Behaalotecha Jun 24, 2016

It is the rare occasion when the Torah actually characterizes an individual. Rather through an analysis of the Biblical narrative, we are meant to…

Naso Jun 17, 2016

Our Torah was given to us on at least two occasions. The first revelation just weeks after the exodus was ineffectual as the people built a golden…

Bava Kama Jun 9, 2016

  Arba avot nezikin, there are four primary categories of damages, the ox, the pit, the man and fire." (Bava Kamman 2a) As …

Bava Kama Jun 4, 2016

   "There are four primary categories of damages - the ox, the pit, the man and the fire...the common denominator of them is that…

Bava Kama Jun 2, 2016

"One who wants to sharpen his mind should involve himself in monetary law as there is no section of the Torah larger than them; they are like an…

Kiddushin Jun 1, 2016

One of the most important life decisions we make is the choice of a career. As Judaism is most concerned with so many of the minor decisions we make…

Kiddushin May 31, 2016

  "Do not judge a person until you are in his place." (Avot 2:5) We unfortunately live in a very judgmental (Jewish) world where…

Kiddushin May 30, 2016

One of the rules of Rashi's commentary to the chumash, made famous by Nehama Leibowitz z"l, is that Rashi brings a second explanation…

Behar May 27, 2016

Legal loopholes are a mainstay of the legal profession. People are often frustrated when criminals are let off the hook on a technicality, perhaps…

Kiddushin May 25, 2016

  One of the fascinating, exciting even suspenseful aspects of learning Gemara is how a detailed discussion on the minutiae of Jewish law can…

Kiddushin May 23, 2016

In our last post we discussed the unusual situation, to say the least, of a father or even the daughter herself being unable to recall to…

Kiddushin May 19, 2016

  You have to wonder sometimes about the strange relationships between parents and children. While parents may not always know where their…

Kiddushin May 17, 2016

A poor person who is examining a piece a cake and another comes and takes it from him is called evil.” (Kiddushin 59a) All legal systems…

Kiddushin May 15, 2016

If you are going to have someone do work for you it's probably best to ensure they have your best interests at heart. "One who says to his…

Kiddushin May 13, 2016

"The signature of G-d is truth." (Shabbat 55b) As beings created in the image of G-d we too are expected to be the epitome of integrity.…

Yom Ha'atzmaut May 12, 2016

“In every generation one must see himself as if he had left Egypt.” Pesach may seem like a distant memory despite it having concluded less than two…

May 10, 2016

I write these words from Israel on the eve of Yom Hazikaron, the saddest day of the year as we remember the 23,447 casualties of war and terrorism;…

Kiddushin May 6, 2016

"If you want something done right do it yourself" is a nice idea in theory but one with limited applications. It is not possible for any…

Kiddushin Apr 28, 2016

We are creatures of habit. We tend to do what we have done in the past, which is why it is so important to get things right the first time. Learn it…

Kiddushin Apr 27, 2016

There is no more tragic figure in Talmudic literature than that of Acher, the Other. Destined for greatness, the teacher, colleague and friend of…

Pesach Apr 22, 2016

“Chanoch lena’ar al pi darcho, train each child according to their way” (Mishlei). It is at the Seder that we analyze the questions of the “four…

Pesach Apr 22, 2016

The Seder night brings together Jews from all orientations and perspectives. The future redemption of the Jewish people, a theme which is central to…

Kiddushin Apr 21, 2016

In our last post we discussed the extraordinary efforts to which Dama ben Netinah went to honour his father including his willingness to…

Kiddushin Apr 18, 2016

  There are few mitzvoth more important than that of kivud av veim, honouring parents. “Our Rabbis taught: There are three partners…

Pesach Apr 15, 2016

Historians and sociologists have long debated whether it is historical trends that determine the course of events, the historical personalities being…

Kiddushin Apr 14, 2016

Our evil inclination is most powerful and capable of causing so much harm. So much so that when G-d saw “that the inclination of man is bad…

Kiddushin Apr 14, 2016

Practice what you preach is always sound advice, especially if one hopes to have any influence on others. This axiom is more than a moral…

Kiddushin Apr 10, 2016

"More than the calf wants to suck, the cow wants to give milk.” (Pesachim 112a) So said Rabbi Akiva to…

Apr 8, 2016

  Perhaps there is no parshaless studied than Tazria (and its often partner Metzora). With its focus on the detailed laws of tzara…

Kiddushin Apr 7, 2016

  One of the best-known "facts" about the Torah is that it contains 613 mitzvoth.  Even Jews who are not very learned tend to…

Kiddushin Mar 31, 2016

  "From here it was said: Whoever acquires a Hebrew slave is as if they acquired a master for themselves." (Kiddushin 20a) "…

Kiddushin Mar 29, 2016

One of the sacred and most enjoyable aspects of the rabbinate is being amesader kiddushin, joining two people together in marriage. Yet for many…

Purim Mar 25, 2016

“When Adar enters, we increase our joy” (Taanit 29a). Presumably, the increased joy is due to the upcoming Purim festivities, the most joyous of…

Purim Mar 23, 2016

"It was contemptible in his eyes to harm Mordechai alone; for they identified for him the people of Mordechai; Haman sought to destroy all the Jews…

Kiddushin Mar 20, 2016

One of the "new" approaches to Tanach study today is the use of literary tools and analysis to help us better understand the Torah itself…

Gitin Mar 15, 2016

  After 90 double-sided pages, Masechet Gittin is coming to a close. We have discussed in great detail the intricacies of the laws of Gittin;…

Gitin Mar 14, 2016

  We as a society identify people by their last name (or sadly, even if understandably, by a number). Such was not always the case. When life…

Purim Mar 11, 2016

Imagine if every few years the Gregorian calendar had two Decembers. When would people shop? We of course are faced with a similar dilemma seven…

Gitin Mar 10, 2016

There are certain rabbinic debates where one can only say thank G-d that we do not follow a certain view. Such would be the case in the debate…

Vayakhel Mar 4, 2016

How important is intent in the performance of mitzvoth? Is it enough to mechanically perform the mitzvah, or is the intent to fulfill one’s…