Of all the 39 Melachot, it is carrying that, by far, occupies the most pages of Talmudic discussion. In the midst of discussing this prohibition, the…
It seems that the toy industry in Talmudic times was quite different than the one we have today. Lacking the technological gizmos so popular today,…
Rabbi Chaim Brovender will speak at Yeshivat Or Chaim this Motzai Shabbat, January 12, at 7:45 pm. His topic is Chassidic Insights into Tefillah.…
Abraham is the founding father of Judaism, Yaakov is the founding father of the Jewish people, and Yitzchak is the link between them. His role was…
Years ago, I heard Dennis Prager note that, while the Talmud spends six double-sided folio pages discussing the permissibility of eating an egg laid…
“And Moshe was tending to the sheep of his father-in-law, Yitro, the priest of Midian... and an angel of G-d appeared to Moshe” (Shemot 3…
Jews celebrate the New Year on the first of Tishrei with a solemn seriousness indicating the precarious nature of life. In contrast, the non-Jewish…
The story of Yosef begins, “and Jacob dwelled (vayeshev) in the land of his fathers, in the land of Canaan”. As the story of Joseph reaches its…
It is the 39 melachot that define the observance of Shabbat. Yet a listing of the melachot does not appear until midway through the seventh chapter…
Language plays a crucial role in national identity. Those of us living in Canada know how sensitive issues of language can be. Theodore Herzl devoted…
Torah in Motion will be "in motion" this summer, and our trips are filling up fast. Don't miss out on your chance to visit Europe, Italy, or Africa…
Following the birth and brit milah of Rabbi Natan Slifkin's new son, his online lecture series on Science and Rationalism will resume on Sunday,…
Dr. Ari Sacher, noted Israeli rocket scientist, will be speaking at Congregation Shaarei Shomayim at 8 pm on December 22, 2012. For more information…
The sixth chapter of Shabbat begins with the issue of what ornaments a woman—and to a lesser extent, a man—may or may not wear on Shabbat in a place…
Dr. Marc Shapiro presents Part Five of his six-part online series, covering the history and thought of Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin. For more information…
"And Yehuda saw her [his daughter-in-law Tamar], and he thought she was a harlot, because her face was covered" (38:15). Presumably, covering one's…
Rabbi Natan Slifkin, the "Zoo Rabbi," will continue his online series on Science and Rationalism on December 9 at 10:15 am. For more information, see…
Dr. Don Seeman will present a lecture on Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman Shapira: Jewish Spirituality and the Holocaust, Chanukah 1942. Shapira's…
Interpreting Scripture is no easy feat. One of the difficulties in understanding biblical literature is to figure out what parts are to be taken at…
“The cow of Rav Elazar ben Azaria used to go out on Shabbat with a strap between its horns, against the will of the rabbis”. Shabbat is the day of…
Avraham Avinu is known as "ha'Ivri" as the world was on one side, and he was alone on the other. It is not easy challenging the ideas of society…
One of the inspiring things we see in the many stories found in the Talmud is the realistic portrayal of our great sages. We see not only much…
The Talmud teaches that everything is dependent on mazal, “even the Sefer Torah in the ark”. Some sifrei Torah are used week in and week out, while…
Dr. Boruch Sterman will begin his three-part online lecture series on The Rediscovery of Tekhelet on Sunday morning, November 25, at 9:15 am EST. For…
Yaakov is fleeing his home, afraid that his brother will try to kill him. Night is coming, and presumably he has been running all day. He is tired…
Journey Through Jewish History: Central Europe 2013 is ready to go! For more information, see http://www.torahinmotion.org/programs/live_program/5470.
One of the differences between Talmudic rabbis and those of the post-Talmudic era is the “ability” of the former to link “crime and punishment”, or…
The Eleventh Hour: Iran, America, Israel, and the Future of the World will take place TONIGHT. Speaker from UJA Rally to follow. Don't miss it! For…
How sad when parents do not understand their children, and are unaware of what they’re up to. Either through purposeful ignorance or just plain being…
One of the most famous Talmudic stories is that of the potential convert who conditioned his conversion on whether or not he could be taught the…
Having the questions of an exam in advance would seem to be a big advantage. Yet often, such advantages are frittered away as we are apt to work a…
Rav Moshe Feinstein noted that one of the tragedies of American Jewish life was the common notion that it is difficult to be a Jew. Children saw…
“The rabbis wanted to bury the book of Kohelet, as its words contradict one another” (30b). The Talmud notes that, in addition to contradicting…
“And G-d said: Am I going to hide from Abraham that which I will do?” The city of Sedom was a thriving metropolis and the home of Lot, Abraham’s…
In an age before electricity, having light at night was no simple matter. While various forms of lamps were in use, their effectiveness was limited.…
Human nature is to be forgetful, even in the midst of doing something. This human frailty is what leads the Mishnah (11a) to rule that a tailor may…
While the prelude to the giving of the Torah is the establishment of a court system (see Shemot 18), it would seem that having to actually use the…
Two of our most fundamental mitzvoth are those of Tefillah, prayer and Talmud Torah, the study of Torah. Yet there has long been a…
When discussing the transition of torah sheba’al peh from knowledge that was transmitted orally to knowledge that is primarily studied via texts, we…
I had the privilege of learning in Rav Herschel Schachter’s shiur at Yeshiva University for four years, in the days before he was universally…
The creation narrative has the world in beautiful harmony. Heaven and earth, sky and water, sun and moon, man and woman and in the view of our sages…
Much of Masechet Brachot deals with non-legal matters - extolling the importance of prayers and blessings and recording many stories involving our…
This week’s d'var Torah is sponsored in honour of the 80th birthday of Bashi (Esther) Burack by her children and grandchildren. May she go from…
This week’s d'var Torah is sponsored in honour of the 80th birthday of Bashi (Esther) Burack by her children and grandchildren. May she go from…
The story of the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva is well known. Defying the orders of the Roman government not to engage in Torah study, Rabbi Akiva…
One of the most well known blessings is that of dayan haemet, the blessing said upon the death of an immediate relative accepting G-d as the…
"And you shall take for yourself on the first day a beautiful fruit of the tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows and you shall…
"And you shall take for yourself on the first day a beautiful fruit of the tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows and you shall…
The Talmud spends quite a number of pages discussing dreams. Taking their cue from the Bible itself, they put great stock in the significance of our…
“From the blessings of man, we see if he is a scholar or not” (Brachot 50a). How, and more importantly, whom one blesses tells us much…