It is difficult to feel two contradictory emotions at the same time. Conflicting, if not contradictory, emotions such as joy and sadness,…
Some of the most stirring and beautiful Biblical words – or any words – are those spoken by the prophet Yishayahu. “Nation shall not lift up sword…
If one wants to get a quick overview of a book one tends to read the introduction or perhaps the opening pages. That is where a typical author sets…
“Haazinu Hashamayim vadebera, vatishma haaretz imrei pi, Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter” (Devarim 32:1). In…
"You are standing this day all of you before the Lord your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel: your…
Why does misfortune befall the Jewish people? While there is no simple answer – or perhaps no answer at all - to this complex problem of theodicy,…
One of the beautiful aspects of our Torah is the fact that it deals with real-life issues, and with real and thus imperfect people. Nezikin, damages…
Long before Lord Acton, the Torah well understood that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is for this reason that the King –…
Each of the five books of the chumash has a unique theme – otherwise there would be no need for five books. Breisheet discusses why…
One of the primary goals of the Torah is the inducement of fear of heaven. “Now what does Hashem, your G-d ask of you? Only to fear Hashem your G-d,…
“Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them…
“Moshe said to the Lord, "I beseech You, O Lord. Lo ish devarim anochi, I am not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before…
“The deeds of the Mighty One are perfect, for all his ways are just. He is a faithful judge; never unfair, righteous and straight is He" (Devarim 32:…
The time has come for new leadership. “I am no longer able to come and go, and G-d has told me you will not cross the Jordan” (Devarim 31:2).…
It is customary that on the shabbat before a new month we "announce" its arrival with a prayer that the upcoming month be filled with the blessings…
When studying Torah we must study not only its content, but also its form; not just what the Torah says, but also how it says it. Proper study…
Judaism has always placed tremendous emphasis on intellectual achievement and development. Talmud Torah k’neged kulam—the study of…
How can you tell if somebody loves you? We all understand that words alone are hollow, and that it is actions that count. Even so, it is not always…
The measure of a human being is revealed by the little things. The greater the person, the more one understands the significance of the small…
Our Sages ordained that we should read parshat VaEtchanan on the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av. As they phrased it, “tzumu v’tzlu, fast and pray…
Each one of the five books of the Chumash has a unique central theme, be it the choosing of the Jewish nation (Breisheet), redemption (…
Despite our long and frequently miraculous past, the actual study of Jewish history is an oft-neglected field. It is perceived by many, to a large…
Rare is the person who measures his success by looking only at themselves, trying to determine how they can build on their strengths and improve on…
"And G-d said, 'My spirit shall not continue to judge him forever; he is nothing but flesh, and his days will be 120 years'" (Breisheet 6:3…