“And G-d spoke to Moshe after the death of the two children of Aharon when they came close before G…
Pesach: A Second Chance
Jewish life is all too often rather chaotic. Yet Pesach and Yom Kippur, the two central holidays of…
Pesach: What Should We Read
It is hard to argue that there is a more impactful and important rabbinic decree than that of …
Pesach: Why Eat Matza
“Rabban Gamliel would say: Anyone who does not say these three things on Pesaḥ has not fulfilled…
Metzora: Time for a Haircut
Judaism teaches that everything has the potential for holiness; after all everything in this world…
Tazria: A Sin Offering?
There is no greater joy than having a child. From a religious perspective, bringing new life into…
Shemini: Seeking the Middle
“Moshe then inquired, darosh darash, about the goat of the sin offering, and it had been…
Tzav: The Best Reason
One of the major debates in Jewish thought relates to the appropriateness of ascribing reasons for…
Purim Thoughts: Far, Far Away
The decree has been promulgated and publicized through the empire. 127 provinces have received “…
Vayikra: Come on In
Jewish etiquette – and law – teach that one should not enter one’s own home, how much more so the…
Pekudei: Remember the Count
"These are the accounts, pekudei, of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of testimony, as…
Vayakhel: Time to Meet
“Moshe gathered the entire congregation of Israel and said to them” (Shemot 35:1). It is extremely…
Ki Tissa: Time to Speak
Forty days after the most awesome event in history – G-d’s revelation to man - the Jewish people…
Tezaveh - Biblical Editing
The central theme of Sefer Shemot is the formation of the Jewish people as a nation. The…
Terumah - Soaring to the Heavens
Symbols play an important part in helping to define who we are. Our clothing, for example, is often…
Mishpatim: The Thief and the Robber
"Rabban Yocḥanan ben Zakkai’s students asked him: ‘For what reason was the Torah stricter with a…
Yitro: Who was at Sinai
What kind of book is the Torah and who is it meant for? Rashi begins his commentary to the Torah…
Beshalach: Great Expectations
Throughout the Exodus story, the Jewish people are silent. We do not know what they were thinking…