It is not uncommon to hear people define a mitzvah as a “good deed”. And there is…
Yom Haatzmaut: Thoughts at Seventy-One
The period of sefirat haomer has undergone great transformation over the ages. In the…
Acharei-Mot, Or Is It Kedoshim?
For those who write divrei Torah, the next few months will be a bit challenging and will…
Acharei-Mot: A Word Apart
“Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am the Lord your G-d: Do not follow…
Bechorot 2: All Are Welcome
Amongst the many wonderful opportunities and challenges wrought by the return of the Jewish people…
An Introduction to Masechet Bechorot
The privileges and obligations of the firstborn are a major theme of Pesach. Most famously, the…
Last Day(s) of Pesach: Reach for the Top
As we all know too well, there is often a gap between the ideal and reality. In trying to implement…
Chulin 142: Do You See What I See
It is an amazing but all too common phenomenon that two people can witness the same event and yet…
Pesach: Have You Left Egypt?
“In each and every generation, one must see oneself as if they had left Egypt”. …
Chulin 139: Where is Moshe?
“Where is Moshe [mentioned] in the Torah?” It is hard to imagine a more—let's…
Chulin 109: Can I Have Some Udder Please
When I ask ba’alei teshuva what the hardest thing for them to give up is, the…
Tazria and Hachodesh: Home Building
The first of Nissan and the first of Tishrei mark the beginnings of the Jewish year. The solar…
Chulin 105: Time for a Field Trip
It is an often-cited truism that the Orthodox community, most ironically, tends to place much…
Shmini: Tragic Lessons
When tragedy strikes there is a tendency to search for some rational explanation as we subsequently…
Chulin 105: Can We Drink Milk Yet?
“Mar Ukva said: I am, with regard to this matter, like vinegar, son of wine, with…
Shmini: Seek the Middle
“Moshe then inquired, darosh darash, about the goat of the sin offering, and it had been…
Tzav: Time to Change?
Excitement and consistency: We tend to view these terms as contradictory. Man gets excited over…
Purim: Ignoring G-d!
Purim celebrates the eternity of the Jewish people. Despite exile and dispersion, genocidal enemies…