One of the fascinating midrashim on parsha Shemini pictures Aharon, the Kohen Gadol, brother of Moshe, leader extraordinaire, hesitating before going to fulfill his sacred duty, because on the … more

The narrative of the Four Sons is one of the highlights of the Maggid (Telling) section of the Haggadah. Contemporary versions of this work formulate the first two questions in this … more

One of the bigger challenges we face on Pesach evening is keeping everyone around the table engaged throughout the Seder. Whether we read the Haggadah straight (boring to some), have many Torah … more

The details of this story have been changed to protect the identity of the commander involved. J enin during the first intifada was a nasty place, especially for a month of reserve duty, but we … more

Pesach begins next Friday night, and with it comes the longest mitzvah we can fulfill, the telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. In Maimonides’ count it is positive mitzvah 157. In … more

This is Shabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat, an appellation that urges us to focus on the meaning of geulah (redemption), since it is juxtaposed to Pesach, the preeminent Festival of … more

When the Talmud asks a question for which no satisfactory answer is evident, it uses the word “teiku” as a way of indicating that we’ll have to wait for the coming of Elijah … more

When the the Israelites pressed Aaron to make them an idol of gold, the Torah informs us: “And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears and brought them unto … more

The laws regarding the korbanot are one of the major themes of sefer Vayikra. The Rambam discusses their underlying reasoning in two well-known passages found in his philosophic magnum opus, The … more

Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher begins his commentary on the book of Vayikra with an introduction, in which he includes a verse from Mishlei 22:4: “In the wake of humility comes fear of the Lord, … more