“All who take an oath, take an oath and are exempt [from payment]” (Shevuot 45a). Violating an…
Shevuot 30: You Go First
In a recent highly publicized murder trial in Toronto, the jury was not told that the accused…
Shevuot 30: A Woman Dayan
“The oath of testimony applies to men, but not to women” (Shevuot 30a). Beginning with…
Shemot: 59 Years!
What a difference 59 years can make. Despite Yaakov's insistence to be buried in Israel,…
Vayechi: Excellence in Exile
"And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were one…
Vayigash: Painful Reunion
Etiquette and diplomatic niceties are the hallmarks of the world of politics. Political leaders are…
Shevuot 13: Need I Repent!
Rebbe Yehuda Hanasi said:…One should be as careful with a light mitzvah as with a heavy…
Mikeitz: In G-d We Trust
How unfortunate when man must put his fate in the hands of other men.
Chanukah: Looking Backward and Forward
The holiday of Chanukah is a most beloved one. Lighting the candles is the only mitzvah that has,…
Shevuot 9: When G-d Sins!
One of the beautiful things about learning Daf Yomi is seeing the enormously wide range of rabbinic…
Vayeshev: Sibling Rivalry
The Talmud records that one who has no dreams for a period of seven days is called a wicked person…
Shevuot 2: Counting Goats!
“New moons You have given to Your people, a time of atonement for all your generations.…
An Introduction to Masechet Shevuot
The story is told that when the Vilna Gaon was a little boy, he wanted to learn masechet …
Makkot 24: A Heart of Gold!
“A song to David; G-d, who will live in Your tent, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He…
Makkot 24: 11+6+3+1= 613!
“’And now let Me go, so that I may destroy them and make you a great nation’ (…
Makkot 23: It's Great To Do Nothing!
Almost by definition, news—at least most of it—is of the less-positive variety, often…