In 1925, the American Astronomer Edwin Hubble demonstrated (as an extension of Vesto Slipher’s discovery in 1918) that the universe was not static, it was expanding: every galaxy in the … more

The Torah uses two phrases several times to indicate a longer-range prediction or association of fact. One phrase is “ad hayom hazeh,” literally translated to mean “until this … more

Our parasha, Bo, tells the story of the Jewish people’s departure from Egypt: “It came to pass at the end of 430 years, and it came to pass in that very day, that all the legions of the … more

I recall an incredible series of coincidences that to me were nothing short of miraculous. A student had been desperate to speak with me, and we finally managed to connect in New York the day … more

The Pesach Haggadah lists the Ten Plagues (makkot) in order of their appearance in sefer Shemot: “These are the Ten Plagues that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in … more

Bear with me as I make a case here. Shmot 4:14-16: After giving a number of excuses for why he should not be the Deliverer, including that he is uncomfortable with his own speech-abilities, G-d … more

It is reasonable to claim that the Torah is divided into two parts: narrative and law. Sometimes, law is intertwined in the presentation of the narrative; sometimes the narrative informs our … more

Sefer Shemot introduces us to the illustrious triumvirate of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam — three of our people’s greatest prophets. Moshe and Aharon’s contributions are universally … more

The act of a kiss appears twice in our parsha, Vayechi. The first time is when Yosef presents his sons to Yaakov for a blessing. The second time is immediately after Yaakov dies, when Yosef … more

Sefer Bereishit contains the only instances in Tanach of the phrase, “Am I instead of G-d?” One of these appears in our parasha, Vayechi (50:19), and the other in parashat Vayatze (30:2). … more