It is in times of crisis that effective leadership is most important--and the years spent wandering…
Musings from Morocco: Welcome to Fez
Outside of the world of the yeshiva, it’s a safe bet to assume that most who study…
Musings from Morocco
“With fidelity to its irreversible choice to construct a democratic State of Law, the Kingdom…
Erachin 3: Priestly Obligations
In our opening post on masechet Erachin we discussed how the use of the word hakol,…
Shelach Lecha: Confirmation Bias
How can two people witness the exact same events and yet offer two distinct and different reports?…
All Are Welcome to Masechet Erachin
Amongst the most obscure laws of the Torah are those of erachin, which form the subject…
Naso: Counting Our Blessings
A Jew is commanded to recite one hundred blessings each and every day (Menachot 43b). We need…
Bechorot 35: Child's Play
The toy industry has come a long way since Talmudic times. Perhaps the most popular "toy…
Bechorot 34: Here Comes A Cow
When a kosher animal gives birth to a bechor, a firstborn male, there is an inherent conflict…
Shavuot: A Forced Torah?
Our attitude towards Torah is a most fickle one. On the one hand, we demonstrated great faith in…
Bamidbar: What's in a Name?
Sefer Bamidbar opens with names and numbers, a theme that continues throughout the book; hence its…
Bechorot 30: Kosher Style
It is highly unlikely that one would give repeat business to a supposedly kosher butcher who sold…
Bechukotai: Casual Relationships
Twice a year, before Shavuot and Rosh Hashana, we read the tochecha, the list of dire consequences…
Bechorot 29: May I Have a Raise
How much should we pay teachers? As we discussed in our last post, the Gemara has a clear and…
Bechorot 29: Free Legal Services
In our last post, we discussed the need to have an expert examine a bechor in order to…
Behar: Working for G-d
The Torah was wary of the employer-employee relationship. Almost by definition, an employee is not…
Bechorot 28: Donkeys for Sale
A rabbi, dayan, shochet, doctor, and matir bechorot—these are some of the …
Bechorot 25: Bad Politician: Great Teacher
Sometimes the most obscure of arguments can teach the greatest of lessons. That Rabbi Eliezer…