Rosh Hashana Jun 10, 2014

"Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh, all Jews are co-signers [responsible] for one another" (Shevuot 39a). This is not just a nice idea…

Rosh Hashana Jun 8, 2014

G-d is known as kel mistater, a hidden G-d (Yishayahu 46:15). Being created in His image, man, too, should yearn for anonymity. As Rav Soloveitchik…

Rosh Hashana Jun 7, 2014

There is a widespread custom to decorate our shuls with flowers in honour of Shavuot. This beautiful custom commemorates the flourishing of the…

Shavuot Jun 3, 2014

"It was taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Why was the Torah given to the Jewish people?" (Beitzah 25a). The simple answer—made famous by a Midrash…

Rosh Hashana Jun 2, 2014

In the last couple of posts, we discussed the fact that many of our prayers are likely to have little impact. We noted how many of the Talmudic views…

Rosh Hashana Jun 1, 2014

We are familiar with the term iyun tefillah from our daily davening, where iyun tefillah is included amongst "the things…

Rosh Hashana May 29, 2014

"At four times the world is judged: On Pesach for produce; on Shavuot for the fruit of the tree; on Rosh Hashanah, all who come into the world…

Yom Yerushalayim May 28, 2014

"Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Beit Hamikdash...and no one ever said to his fellow, 'the place is too cramped for me to sleep…

Yom Yerushalayim May 28, 2014

"Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Beit Hamikdash...and no one ever said to his fellow, 'the place is too cramped for me to sleep…

Rosh Hashana May 26, 2014

Sometimes one can glean the most interesting information from the most unexpected places. "Our Rabbis taught: [one who] gathered a vegetable on…

Rosh Hashana May 24, 2014

History is not something that greatly interested our Talmudic Sages. Of course, such was the norm for all in the ancient world; and history as a…

Rosh Hashana May 22, 2014

"You shall afflict your soul on the ninth of the month [of Tishrei] in the evening, from evening to evening you shall rest" (Vayikra 23:32…

Rosh Hashana May 20, 2014

"The first of Nissan is the New Year for festivals" (Rosh Hashanah 2a). There is no holiday that begins on the first of Nissan. Rather, the…

Rosh Hashana May 14, 2014

The defeat of Babylonians by Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE led to a (temporary) golden age of Jewish life under Persian rule. Cyrus allowed the Jewish…

Rosh Hashana May 12, 2014

Rosh Hashanah conjures up images of prayer, repentance, and new beginnings. It is the time of year when we are more focused on spiritual matters and…

Rosh Hashana May 11, 2014

"Arba Rosh Hashana hem, there are four New Years; on the first of Nissan is the New Year for kings and festivals" (Rosh Hashanah 2a).…

Behar May 9, 2014

The Torah was edited with great precision. This is the idea behind the notion that "there is no chronological order to the Torah". Items…

Yom Ha'atzmaut May 6, 2014

One of the Rambam's principles of faith is the eternity of the Torah. While historical circumstances may prevent the performance of certain…

Yom Ha'atzmaut May 6, 2014

One of the Rambam's principles of faith is the eternity of the Torah. While historical circumstances may prevent the performance of certain…

Beitzah May 3, 2014

In Talmudic times, animals were generally slaughtered only when there was a known buyer ready to eat from the animal before him. Lacking methods of…

Beitzah May 2, 2014

Shabbat and Yom Tov are gifts to the Jewish people, and the Jewish people only. As such, we are permitted to benefit from work by a non-Jew on these…

Emor May 2, 2014

Being a kohen today is not what it used to be. While one may receive more aliyot and lead birchat hamazon on a regular basis, a kohen is…

Beitzah Apr 29, 2014

There is arguably no greater figure in Talmudic literature than that of Hillel the Elder. He combined the Torah leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu[1] with…

Beitzah Apr 27, 2014

Often, when studying Gemara, we fail to appreciate how different day-to-day life was for our ancestors. Yeshiva study tends to focus on conceptual…

Kedoshim Apr 25, 2014

One of the features of the scientific world is classification of different species into their various groupings and subgroupings. The Torah itself…

Beitzah Apr 24, 2014

All of us are sinners. To be human means that we make mistakes, both inadvertent and intentional. Our tradition shows great respect for those who…

Beitzah Apr 20, 2014

We live in an age of specialization. Whether it is business, medicine, sports, Torah, or technology, we train people to be expert in one…

Beitzah Apr 18, 2014

Our Sages defined a chacham as one who is roeh et hanolad, who foresees the results of his actions. We live in a world which is focused on the here…

Apr 18, 2014

What is it about leaders that so many of them seem to be embroiled in ethical controversy? We in Ontario have a gas-plant scandal that won’t go…

Pesach Apr 14, 2014

“And it was at the end of four hundred and thirty years, in the middle of that very day, that the legions of G-d went out from the land of Egypt” (…

Pesach Apr 14, 2014

“And it was at the end of four hundred and thirty years, in the middle of that very day, that the legions of G-d went out from the land of Egypt” (…

Apr 13, 2014

I write these words just days before Pesach, the holiday that, more than any other, focuses on children. We are mandated to ensure that every child…

Apr 13, 2014

I write these words just days before Pesach, the holiday that, more than any other, focuses on children. We are mandated to ensure that every child…

Yom Kippur Acharei Mot Apr 11, 2014

It is quite rare to read parshat Acharei Mot on Shabbat Hagadol. In non-leap years, it is generally parshat Tzav that is read on Shabbat Hagadol. And…

Yom Kippur Acharei Mot Apr 11, 2014

It is quite rare to read parshat Acharei Mot on Shabbat Hagadol. In non-leap years, it is generally parshat Tzav that is read on Shabbat Hagadol. And…

Beitzah Apr 9, 2014

It is doubtful the Jewish life would exist as we know it if not for the leadership of Rav Yochanan ben Zackai. Seeing the terrible infighting that…

Beitzah Apr 7, 2014

I have a confession to make. I really like Yom Tov and look forward to having an extra day to celebrate. I know that is not the way the…

Beitzah Apr 6, 2014

The very first teaching in all of rabbinic literature[1] is the saying of the Men of the Great Assembly that those who render decisions on matters of…

Beitzah Apr 5, 2014

The Rambam, in discussing the prohibition of ba’al toseef (Devarim 4:2), the prohibition of adding to the Torah rules, said that one violates…

Beitzah Apr 3, 2014

“An egg that was laid on Yom Tov: Beit Shammai says it may be eaten, and Beit Hillel says it may not be eaten”. For six pages, the Gemara…

Apr 2, 2014

Rabbi David Stav will speak on Thursday, May 15, on the topic "The Struggle for Jewish Identity in the State of Israel." The program will…

Sukkah Apr 2, 2014

As we have studied Masechet Sukkah together, we have stressed two themes: that of simcha, joy; and that of the unity of the Jewish people. Of course…

Sukkah Apr 1, 2014

“Whoever did not see the celebration of the drawing of the water (simchat beit hashoeva) has never witnessed joy in their life” (Sukkah…

Mar 30, 2014

Rabbi Alex Israel will serve as scholar in residence on the Shabbat of March 29 at Zichron Yisroel Congregation of Associated Hebrew Schools. Watch…

Sukkah Mar 28, 2014

In a recent post, we discussed the opposition to the mitzvah of placing the arava on the altar. An even greater dispute arose vis a vis the mitzva of…

Sukkah Mar 26, 2014

“Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: lulav, seven; and sukkah, one” (Sukkah 45b). So begins a discussion as to how often we are to…

Sukkah Mar 24, 2014

The arava, the willow branch, has a dual function on Sukkot. It is the last of four species that make up the mitzvah of “lulav”. Without…

Sukkah Mar 23, 2014

Despite the explicit command to take the lulav on the first day of Sukkot--and to blow the shofar on the first of…

Shemini Mar 21, 2014

In Jewish law, it is the middle that is most important. We surround the sefer Torah with gabbaim on either side, and ideally we place the…

Sukkah Mar 19, 2014

"A child who knows how to shake [the lulav] is obligated to take the lulav" (Sukkah 42a). As we noted in our first "daily daf" on…