Chapter five of Pirkei Avot tells a poignant tale: “With ten tests our forefathers tested Hashem in the desert, as is stated … ‘they tested Me these ten times, and did not … more

One of the most difficult elements of the Torah and the way of life it prescribes is the phenomenon of animal sacrifices — for obvious reasons. First, Jews and Judaism have survived without … more

There are a number of three-word verses in the Torah. Some of them would seem to require no commentary, as only names are mentioned. See, for example, 25:14, when three of Yishmael’s children … more

Rosh Chodesh is one of the topics in this week’s Torah reading, parsha Bo: “The L-rd spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘This month shall be to you (Hachodesh … more

The parsha of Behaalotecha speaks about the silver trumpets — clarions — Moshe was commanded to make (Bamidbar 10:1-2): “Make two trumpets of silver; make them of hammered work. … more

Balak, king of Moab, is the namesake of our parasha. He believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation and consequently sought to annihilate us before we … more

There was a time when I would only go out of my way to listen to speakers who were older and more experienced than I. Recently, however, I changed my preferences and began … more

There is no more tragic figure in the entire Torah than Moshe Rabbeinu, our ultimate teacher. And there is no part of the story of his life in the Torah that is more confounding and mysterious … more

I have known more than my share of families torn by discord, families in which brothers and sisters have not spoken to each other in years. My experience in the field of family therapy has given … more

If you would have asked me what Abir would end up doing with his life, I would have imagined him as a bouncer.... Abir, an ex-paratrooper, is one of the unsung heroes of the battle of the Chinese chicken farm, when a battalion of paratroopers in the Yom Kippur war had to take a crucial Egyptian position by running up 300 yards of open ground; most of the battalion never made it out of there. I could easily have imagined him grabbing one of the first planes out after the war, maybe to New York or Los Angeles. more