Years ago, about to exit the doors of LaGuardia Airport after a long flight, I realized I had forgotten my tefillin on the plane. I rushed back to the gates only to discover I could not get through … more

The book of Devarim begins (1:12-18) with Moshe reminding the people of how, when the Law was first given, he was unable to personally deal with every dispute. At the time, he appointed a tier system of judges over specific population sizes to work with the people. Moshe would serve, in a sense, as the equivalent of the Supreme Court (sans the politics), as the highest arbiter of the law, whose decisions are final. more

A number of Midrashim pose the question (ascribed either to Rabbi Yoseh, Yosi, or Dosa), “Why do children begin learning the [Chumash] from the section about korbanot [offerings]?” And the answer is, “Because just as the korbanot are pure, so are the children pure.” more

The final chapter of the book of Vayikra delves into the topic of Endowments and Valuations, essentially answering the question of what value humans, animals and properties have if a person makes a pledge to the Mishkan based on the value of another human being, etc. more

JERUSALEM —A void that can never really be filled; a loss that is much more than personal, it is generational. We have lost the greatest of us, and now we are, truly,  an orphaned … more

When we read the story of Yosef and his brothers carefully, a number of things jump out at us that mirror the Torah’s narrative from the depiction of creation. … more

When new prisoners arrived in Auschwitz, if they survived the infamous selections on the train platforms, within an hour they were robbed, stripped, shaved and deloused. … more

There are many synagogues whose names begin with the word anshei (Anshei Emes, Anshei Shalom, Anshei Chesed, Anshei Emunah). There are also Anshei synagogues named for individuals, families, or … more

Bamidbar Chapter 26 is largely dedicated to another census of the Israelites, this time counting the people in the final months before they enter the land of Israel.  Owing to the midrash … more

Many years ago at a parlor meeting of the coalition for the Israeli soldiers missing in action, someone spoke about a close friend with whom he had both studied and gone to war: Yehuda Katz. Along … more