One of the most vexing issues in Biblical interpretation is the relationship between pshat, loosely…
Menachot 12: Time over Space
There is no area of Jewish law as regimented as that of sacrifices. There are strict rules as to…
Ki Tavo: The Presence of G-d
In the secular world in which we live it can be—and often is—hard to feel the presence…
Ki Teitzei: Demanding More
When studying Torah we must study not only its content, but also its form; not just what the…
Menachot 6: Benefitting Sinners
In 1977, the New York State Legislature passed the “Son of Sam law”. Named for serial…
Shoftim: Enabling Evil
Evil does not exist in a vacuum. A culture is needed for evil to be nurtured, in which it…
Menachot 2: The Power of Logic
There is seemingly no better proof for a Talmudic viewpoint than support from a biblical verse…
An Introduction to Masechet Menachot
“Now it came to pass after many days, that Cain brought of the fruit of the soil an offering…
Re'eh: Springtime
“Guard the month of the spring, and make Pesach to the Lord your G-d, because it was in the month…
Zevachim 88: Clothes Make the Man - and Woman
The fashion industry is a one that employs millions of people worldwide and both reflects and molds…
Zevachim 88: Back-to-Back
One of the frequent questions Rashi asks in his commentary to the Chumash is lamah nismicha,…
Mattot: To Speak or Not to Speak
“In ten utterances did G-d create the world” (Avot 5:1). It is thus not surprising that…
Goodbye Greece
As I sit on the plane, having just spent ten glorious days in Greece, let me share some final…
The Charm of Chalkis
Something that one might be fairly certain will never appear in a shul, no matter where it is or…
Salutations from Salonica
As one enters the beautiful Yad Lezikaron shul in Salonica, one notices plaques on the wall. But…
Impressions from Ioannina
One of the beautiful experiences in travelling around the Jewish world is seeing the richness and…
Commentary from Corfu
“Ma rabu ma’asecha Hashem, how beautiful are Your creations, G-d!” After…
Arrival in Athens
Philosophy, mathematics, democracy, the Olympics, architecture, libraries, trial by jury, mythology…