O ne of the most revealing moments in the beginning of Parshat Bo comes when Pharaoh’s officials say to him, in advance of the pending plague of locusts, “How long will this [man] … more

Parshat Chayei Sara by Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of November 13/ 26 Cheshvan 5770 Take a careful look at Bereishit 24:67. “And Yitzchak brought Rivka to his mother’s tent. He took … more

Shortly before Thanksgiving, a video entitled “Yeshiva Guy Says Over a Vort” was posted on YouTube and made its rounds through many of our emails. In it, two animated bears discuss a Torah thought related to the traditional interpretation that the forefathers kept the commandments of the Torah before Sinaitic revelation. The darker bear begins the conversation saying, “Can I say over a vort that I heard by my rebbe’s house last shabbos?” more

Many years ago, while teaching an adult education class, the topic we were studying was pushing someone’s buttons. We were discussing the underpinnings of the mitzvah of respect for one’s … more

Contrary to popular myth, there is no better or worse way to lose someone close to you, but there is definitely a worst way to find out about it. It had been a long day, and I was finally taking a … more

There are two well-known verses in Shemot that express the concept of Hashem’s dwelling among the Jewish people. The first instance appears in last week’s parasha, “And they … more

I hadn’t planned on stopping to watch, but something about him caught my attention. It was Tisha B’Av, the anniversary of the day our Temples were destroyed, the city of … more

Na’aseh v’nishmah — we will do, and we will hear and understand — are two of the most celebrated words that appear in Parashat Mishpatim (24:7). In some ways, this phrase … more

Years ago, I had the opportunity to take a long-overdue vacation with my family in Walt Disney World. For our children, who had just spent the better part of a year dealing with the day-to-day … more

Until 1968, American’s celebrated February 12 as Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and February 22 as George Washington’s birthday. These commemorations were then replaced with … more