You and God
First Two of the Ten Concepts: וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים He [Moshe] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten concepts (Ex. 34:28)
May 27, 2026 , Parshanut, Philosophy of Torah
Makeup on Shabbat – It Is Allowed!
Teshuva by Rabbi Haim Ovadia:
May 27, 2026 , Halacha, Shabbat
Ruth: The Unseen Redeemer
A New Commentary on the Book of Ruth: This commentary focuses on the personal and social message of the book of Ruth, and specifically on the personality or Ruth and her relationships with Naomi. My working assumption is that Naomi was a unique and brave woman, and that Ruth, her daughter-in-law, recognized these qualities in her and admired her.
May 27, 2026 , Holidays: Shavuot, Nach
El omer… ¡sigue contando!
La cuenta del Omer es un concepto bonito. Enfatiza la importancia del desarrollo gradual, repitiendo la travesía física y espiritual de nuestro antepasados como esclavos en Egipto a ser liberados, una nación monoteísta en Monte Sinaí.
May 27, 2026 , Holidays: The Omer, en Español
Free Will is Responsibility
Of all the questions surrounding the ten plagues of Egypt, none has captured the interest of commentators throughout the ages as much as the question of how can God disrupt Pharaoh’s decision-making process, and then hold him accountable for it. This question fascinates believers because it has direct application to their lives in terms of the purpose and the value of their actions.
May 27, 2026 , Parshanut, Philosophy of Torah
The Meat Snowball
In this article I wish to present the history of the practice of abstaining from eating meat and drinking wine for nine days, from the first to the ninth of Av. I do not seek to rule on the matter (especially since I spent several years of my life as a vegetarian), but rather to show the snowball effect, in which a tiny grain accumulates greater volume over time.
May 27, 2026 , Holidays: Tisha B'Av
Finding Humanity in Captivity
The opening paragraph of Parashat Ki Tetze (Deut. 21: 10-14) is shocking. In it, the Torah instructs Israelite soldiers how to capture and then violate the women of the enemy.
May 27, 2026 , Parshanut
On Trust and Leadership - Why the Book of Numbers is not about numbers
Why the Book of Numbers is not about numbers -- What’s in a name? The book of BeMidbar suffers of somewhat of an identity crisis. It is easy to determine the identity of the other books of the Torah. Genesis is about the creation and the life of the forefathers, Exodus is about the exodus and the tabernacle, Leviticus deals with the laws of the Levites and the Kohanim, and Deuteronomy, as its names suggest, is the repetition and review of law and history. But what is BeMidbar about? Numbers?
May 27, 2026 , Parshanut
Noah: What Did Ham Do?
The Torah could not have been clearer when describing Ham’s sin, yet the commentators refused to accept the Torah’s words at face value. Maybe they felt that seeing one’s father naked does not deserve a mention in the Torah, or maybe because Noah’s reaction, an eternal curse cast upon Canaan, Ham’s youngest son, would seem exaggerated if Ham only walked in on him.
May 27, 2026 , Parshanut
Prayer: History, Problems, Solutions
Among the many issues readers have mentioned in their queries were the role of mandatory prayer in schools, the amount of time dedicated daily to prayers, the difficulty of finding meaning, length, repetition, inability to understand the words, and the judgmental approach towards, or the feelings of guilt of those who cannot follow all the laws of prayers as detailed in Shulhan Arukh and the numerous works following it.
May 27, 2026 , Prayer