There is much that the Torah leaves to our imagination. Regular students of the weekly Torah portion soon become convinced that the narratives they read each week are deliberately abbreviated, as … more

One of the most celebrated mitzvot of our parasha is “v’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha” — “and you shall love your fellow like yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). … more

Something fundamental happens at the beginning of Kedoshim, and the story is one of the greatest, if rarely acknowledged, contributions of Judaism to the world. Until now, Vayikra has been … more

I love visiting residences for senior citizens. For one thing, being around truly older people invariably helps me feel young by comparison. Recently, I was a weekend guest scholar at such a … more

One of the more strange rituals discussed in Kedoshim is the Molech. There is a debate as to what it was and what purpose it served, but this is how the Torah begins the instructions concerning … more

Recently, on a Pesach program, an elderly gentleman named Yaakov Gross asked a few of us if he could speak before the Yizkor service. He wanted to share the story of his bar mitzvah in the … more

Imagine if there was a member of Congress who openly supported an anti-Semitic movement, issued multiple statements promoting traditional themes of Jew-hatred and then gave a speech … more

The concept of “going up in holiness” is one that gains prominence around Chanukah, as we light candles, adding one each night. But the opinion of Beit Shammai is that we start with … more

What makes a leader? The question consumes countless books, seminars and leadership training programs in countless universities and business training models. But it’s worth noting that … more

One of the best-known parts of the Haggadah is the section known as “Mah Nishtana,” where one or more children at the Seder ask the Four Questions. It is based upon the following … more