Our parasha, Behar, begins with the famous words: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying” (Vayikra 25:1). They are immediately followed by a verse focusing on the mitzvah … more

Something remarkable happens in this week’s parsha, Nitzavim, that changed the very terms of Jewish existence, and has life-changing implications for all of us. Moses renewed the … more

In Israel, even a bus ride can become an existential experience. On a long, crowded bus ride from Haifa to Jerusalem, a fellow in a long black coat and black hat was sitting towards the rear of … more

The sidra begins, “Say to the kohanim the descendants of Aaron.” The definition of the kohanim as descending from Aaron seems too obvious to need iteration. We know who they are … more

One of the highlights of the Pesach seder is the presentation of the Ten Plagues. Precisely because they are so well-known, however, there is a danger that some among us may lose sight of their … more

Beloved by his entire generation and revered for his incredible knowledge of Torah, he was given the chance to get out of 1939 Poland; safe passage to America had been secured and a new life was … more

Moshe’s goodbye speech that is the book of Devarim contains a number of references to the fact that he will not accompany the people into the Promised Land. He talks about how he requested, knelt, pleaded before G-d to be given a chance to enter the land — if only for a short time — and how each request was summarily rejected. more

There are many ways to analyze Yosef’s strategy with his brothers--what was his intent, his plan, and his goal in having them go through all the “tzurres” he gave them over their younger brother and their father. The superlatives run from “cruel” to “brilliant” and from “vindictive” to “well thought out.” more

In September 2000, in the wake of the second intifada, my unit was activated up as part of the massive call-up of reserves that occurred as fighting broke out all over the country. We had no idea how … more

One of the outstanding sections of parsha Beshalach is the Shirat HaYam Suf, the song of joy and thanks to Hashem for having miraculously saved us from Pharaoh and his hordes of chariots and … more