Whenever I come across the word "v'nikhrita" (and he/she/they will be cut off from the Jewish people) in the Torah, I marvel over where such a notion stands in the 21st century world that defines how we live. more

Towards the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Va’Eschanan, we are given Moshe’s reminder that we are not to add anything to the Torah, nor to detract from it (4:2). This is … more

While the debate over what Moshe’s father-in-law “heard” opens up the discussions on the first verse of the parsha, several verses later the Torah tells us “vayichad … more

When Ephraim and Menashe are presented to Yisrael, he has the older grandson placed on his right side, while the younger is placed on his left. As Yisrael is in a bed, we can imagine that each young … more

Our parasha contains a crucial narrative in the lives of the Avot — a famine in the Land of Israel, and Yitzchak’s initial desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and travel … more

We all love getting those cute 3-minute video clips during the day that give us a laugh or a smile. Recently, someone sent me a clip that got me thinking. In it, a fellow gives his two sons a … more

Our parsha, Toldot, shares three stories. The first is the background to the birth of Eisav and Yaakov and the sale of the bechora (birthright); the second is in the chapter dedicated to the life … more

One of the most difficult things for people to say is “I was wrong.” It is even harder to really mean, “I have sinned.” Generally, our confessions are to G-d, though there … more

I have always found this to be one the Haggadah’s fascinating sentences: “Metichilah ovdei avodah zarah hiyu avotainu, v’achshav karvanu HaMakom l’avodato (in the … more

It should have been one of the most powerful and exciting days of my life. After eight grueling months, I was three days away from receiving my officer’s bars. A month-long test (navigation, … more