Symbols play an important part in helping to define who we are. Our clothing, for example, is often symbolic of the social milieu with which we…

In his introduction to Pirkei Avot, the Rambam distinguishes between those mitzvot which we are to observe because we want to and those we should…

The Torah is a description of the relationship between G-d and man, and between G-d and the Jewish people. The Torah begins with G-d’s creation of…

Judaism sees the sparks of the Divine within the most mundane of activities. Revelation at Sinai is followed by a series of laws dealing with such…

Symbols play a crucial role in self and group identification and affect almost everything we do. Be they roses or a diamond ring, symbols can…

The prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel recited in many of our congregations assumes that the modern-day state is the "beginning of…

The story is told that when the students of Rav Yisrael Salanter were preparing to bake matzah, they asked Rav Yisrael what they should be most…

Immediately after the Divine revelation at Sinai, the Torah in Parshat Mishpatim presents a long list of mitzvoth, highlighting the link between…

One of the fiercest debates amongst medieval biblical commentaries was the extent to which parts of the Torah might be allegorical. The Ramban (…

Just as the Shabbat is the pinnacle of physical creation, the Mishkan is the pinnacle of spiritual creation. The Exodus and the revelation at Sinai…