The Torah is comprised primarily of laws and narrative. Let us take a quick scan of Parshat Terumah to see where it fits in the scheme of the rest of the Torah. According to the Sefer HaChinukh, … more

During one of the classes I teach on weeknights, our topic turned to the different kinds of love mentioned in the Torah. One insightful participant commented that if G-d tells us to look out for … more

In their fundamental theology, untainted by modern liberal thinking, the other major religions of the world claim that those who do not subscribe to their belief system have no share in the world to … 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

In the midst of the tumult surrounding the last of the plagues we are given our first dose of the mitzvot. The Israelites in Egypt were instructed to take what is commonly translated as a … more

Before the plagues begin the Torah takes a brief detour to tell us the lineage of the tribes of Reuven, Shimon and Levi, in order to get to Moshe and Aharon. Now that we understand the context of our … more

From his first introduction to us, most of the Torah depicts Moshe as the quintessential leader par excellence. The ultimate Jewish figure, he continues to hold that enigmatic quality that Jewish … more

When I was studying in yeshiva, I asked one of the rabbis if there was a specific reason why the Torah occasionally refers to Yaakov by his name and other times as Yisrael. The rabbi was of the … more

When Tzafnat Pane’ach reveals his true identity to his brothers, he says “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” (45:3)Speechless, the brothers say nothing, forcing Yosef to … more

Shortly after Yosef is given his new title, he is introduced to his new wife: Asenath bat Poti Phera, the priest of On. Pharoh, King of Egypt, was the shadchan. As Yosef was not really given a chance … more