The truth is, it depends. The Torah, for example, says that if a person kills someone accidentally, the blood of the victim shall be avenged (Shmot 21:20). Chapter 19 in Devarim discusses the … more

If you ask most Jews, “What is the name of the next holy day after Rosh Hashanah,” they would probably respond with, “Yom Kippur.” They would answer in this fashion, since it … 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

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan translates Bamidbar 15:15-16 as follows: “Among the group that may marry one another, the same rule shall apply both to you and to the proselyte who joins. It is an … more

Ki Seitzei is about relationships: between men and women, parents and children, employers and employees, lenders and borrowers. Strikingly, though, it is also about relationships between humans … more

The Ramban begins his analysis of our parasha, Mishpatim, by noting that mishpatim (ordinances and civil laws) are the first category of mitzvot presented. This contrasts with what took place at … more

There are some, say the Talmud, who acquire their world in an hour and others who lose it in an hour. No example of the latter is more arresting and bewildering than the famous episode in Chukat, … 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

Every time I hear a chillul Hashem story involving so-called religious Jews going to prison, I contemplate what the term “religious” means. I will not be one to say that people are perfect and … more

I always look forward to. For eight days, I get more and more excited as the day continues and the next night of Chanukah approaches. While life will always have its share of dark moments, the opportunity to spend a week surrounded by close family and friends, re-telling the story of the miracle of the Jewish people’s survival, against all odds, in their battle against the mighty Greek empire, is always uplifting. more