The concluding section of our parasha, Beshalach, contains the account of our ancestors’ mortal combat with Amalek, the marauding desert tribe that sought to destroy us following our departure … more

T wo pasukim in our parasha, Bo, tell the story of our people’s departure from Eretz Mitzrayim: •It came to pass at the end of 430 years, and it came to pass in that very day, that … more

Our parasha begins with the famous words: “And these are the names of b’nai Yisrael who came to Egypt, with Ya’akov, each man and his household came” (Shemos 1:1). In his … more

The concluding pasukim of our parasha, Vayechi, present Yosef’s final words to his brothers. They contain both a reminder of Hashem’s promise to ultimately redeem the Jewish people from … more

O ur Sages, in Tosefta Berachot 4:17-18, ask a fundamental question: “Why did Yehudah merit kingship?” After all, each of the brothers was great in his own way; why, then, was Yehudah and … more

Parashat Vayeshev concludes with the story of Yosef’s imprisonment in an Egyptian dungeon as a result of Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations. While incarcerated, Yosef rises to the … more

Chanukah and Purim, the two rabbinically based chagim , are joyous days of celebration and giving thanks to Hashem. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l said “Purim and Chanukah … more

Sefer Bereshis presents three celebrated name changes that were declared by the Almighty or one of His angels. The first two were Avram and Sarai, whose names were changed to Avraham and Sarah. … more

T he Festival of Sukkot contains two major mitzvot — dwelling in the Succah on the night of the 15th of Tishrei, and the taking of the Arba’at HaMinim. These acts are in the halachic … more

This Sabbath is Shabbat Shuvah, when our spiritual efforts are focused on returning to Hashem. The Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuvah is one of the most celebrated works on teshuvah. Therein, he notes … more