"Moshe said to Aharon: This is what G-d meant when He said I will be sanctified amongst those who are nearest to me” (Vayikra 10:3). So we…
If one were to survey 100 Jews and ask them their least favourite book of Torah it is likely that the vast majority of them would say sefer…
One of the fiercest debates amongst Biblical commentators of the medieval period was to what extent, if at all, parts of the Torah may be seen as…
The ability of the Jewish people to see hope when others see despair is perhaps the key to understanding the amazing tenacity of the Jewish people.…
When one thinks of the most important parts of the Torah one is likely to think of the aseret hadibrot, the shema or…
Knowledge is much more than the accumulation of facts. It is the analysis and application of those facts that is crucial. Underlying factual…
Perhaps there is no parsha less studied than Tazria (and its frequent partner, Metzora). With its focus on the detailed laws of …
Modern society often expects people to keep their emotions in check and to avoid displaying them publicly. This is especially true of our leaders…
When making reference to biblical verses, we tend to identify them by chapter and verse. This most convenient system is of non-Jewish origin and…
A mark of a good book is a clear and coherent structure. The opening chapters set the tone, themes are appropriately developed, and the conclusion…
“You shall count seven complete weeks from the day following the Shabbat from the day you brought the omer as a wave offering seven…
"This is the law of the sin offering, chatat: at the place where the elevation offering, olah, is slaughtered shall the sin offering be…
Perhaps Man’s greatest fear is his ultimate irrelevance, that we really don’t make a difference and that in the greater scheme of things…
Twice a year, before Shavuot and Rosh Hashana, we read the tochecha, the list of dire consequences that will, G-d forbid, befall the Jewish…
The Torah was wary of the employer-employee relationship. Almost by definition, an employee is not much different than a slave; both are told what to…
For those who write divrei Torah, the next few months will be a bit challenging and will demonstrate our geographical frame of reference.…
“Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am the Lord your G-d: Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you once lived, nor of…
The first of Nissan and the first of Tishrei mark the beginnings of the Jewish year. The solar aspect of our calendar—representing the fixed…
When tragedy strikes there is a tendency to search for some rational explanation as we subsequently attempt to find meaning and a degree of comfort,…
“Moshe then inquired, darosh darash, about the goat of the sin offering, and it had been burned” (Vayikra 10:16). Judaism has always…
Excitement and consistency: We tend to view these terms as contradictory. Man gets excited over discovering new things and views variety as the spice…
In his thematic enumeration of the 613 mitzvoth, the Rambam has as the very first mitzvah that of belief in G-d. It is, in the view of the …
“Do not desecrate My holy name. I must be sanctified among the Israelites" (Vayikra 22:31). The role of the Jew is to sanctify the name…
Why were we taken out of Egypt? Concepts such as freedom, justice, equality, and the recognition of Divine Providence are the themes of the…