Face It! On Apology and Forgiveness

Many people (particularly men) often find themselves in a state of confusion and bewilderment when other people (particularly their wives) recall incidents or offenses from times immemorial. “I can’t believe that you still bring this up,” a husband might say, “I thought we put it to rest long ago.” “I didn’t put it to rest, you did” would be the answer.

May 27, 2026 , Parshanut

Civil Discourse

Disagreeing, Agreeably! Every so often, the Jewish world is rocked by a new religious war. On one side are the innovators, reformers, deviators, and on the other, the traditionalists, the [usually self-appointed] “keepers of the flame”. This is not a new phenomenon, but rather one which is a natural product of life in a religious society.

May 27, 2026

Home, Temple, Heaven – Tetzave

For Parashat Tetzave: Mishkan Sweet Mishkan What can the Mishkan be analogized to? When I present this question at a class, the first, intuitive answer, is that the Mishkan resembles a home, and the second, which comes after a minute of contemplation, is the Garden of Eden.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut

Reading Between the Lines

For Parashat VaYeshev: I have a confession to make. I love Tanakh. Obsessed with Tanakh. I go back to familiar verses and read them over and over again, looking for unturned stones under which I find treasures. At times, I feel that commentary takes away from the beauty and dynamics of the biblical narrative as the reader travels back and forth from text to commentary. I therefore ask for your indulgence in presenting the first chapter of the Parasha, with my commentary in an experimental way.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut

Royal Letters

Unearthed from the pages of the Torah, presented here is a correspondence between Yosef and Yaakov following their reunion at Goshen.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut

Beginner’s Guide to Hassidut

For Parashat Mishpatim: Immediately following the momentous event of Mount Sinai, the Israelites are handed a long list of laws and regulations, detailed in Parashat Mishpatim. Surprisingly, these laws have very little to do with rituals, sacrifices, or spirituality. Rather, they deal with financial and physical damages, and with the responsibilities of borrowers and renters. To understand this interesting choice of the Torah, let us turn to the Mussar literature.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut

Eruv: History, Problems, and Solutions

In the famous list of the thirty-nine categories of actions forbidden on Shabbat, the last one is carrying from one domain to another. The first step in understanding this category is defining the domains. The rabbis mentioned three domains: Public Domain – רשות הרבים, Private Domain – רשות היחיד, and Karmelit – כרמלית, which has an ambiguous status and hovers between the two other domains.

May 26, 2026 , Shabbat, Halacha

Contemporary Justice

It is highly significant that the Torah refers the litigants to “the judge who will then preside”. The Torah’s ideal judicial system is one which does not rely on precedents and which is undaunted by the rulings of luminaries of past centuries. The judge, rabbi, Dayyan, or scholar who lived in the past can provide us with insights and guidance, but not a final verdict, because life keeps changing and only the contemporary judge can fully comprehend the circumstances of a problem and the consequences of a ruling.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut

Kippur Quick Guide

A quick guide to the laws and minhagim of Yom Kippur. May we all have an easy and meaningful Kippur, one in which we will be able to reconcile, forgive, and propel ourselves to new spiritual heights. Shana Tova VaHatima Tova

May 26, 2026 , Holidays: Yom Kippur

Frog or Frogs?

Messianic Wars in Midrash – Parashat VaEra In Exodus 8:2 we read of the second plague of Egypt, frogs: ותעל הצפרדע ותכס את ארץ מצרים. The literal translation of these words is: The frog [singular] came up and covered the land of Egypt. The use of the singular form to describe many objects, animals, or people is quite common on the bible (see for example: Gen. 1:21; 3:1; 12:5; 32:6), but its application here has intrigued the commentators, perhaps because the Torah emphasizes the great number of frogs which will invade Egypt. The word frogs, in the plural, appears ten times, the frogs are described as swarming Egypt, and after they die, they are piled in huge heaps.

May 26, 2026 , Parshanut