The two central and most important tefillot of Yom Kippur are the yud gimmel middot harachamim…
Nazir 23: Time to Sin
“For there is no righteous person in the land who does [only] good and does not sin…
Nazir 23: Paving the Road of Good Intentions
One of the long standing debates in ethical theory is whether it is actions or intentions that…
Rosh Hashanah: A Great Gift!
Teshuva tefillah, utzedkaha ma’aveerim et roah hagezeirah - repentance, prayer and tzedakah…
Nazir 19: A Nazir in the Land
When one thinks of the mitzvoth dependent on the land of Israel we
Ki Tavo: To Share or Not to Share
Parshat Ki Tavo opens with the mitzvot of bikkurim, the farmers’ bringing…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Nazir
After discussing the general topic of nedarim, vows, the Mishna moves to a most…
Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Nedarim
One of the primary messages of masechet Nedarim is how negatively [most of] our Sages viewed the…
Nedarim 80: Don't Forget the Laundry
Just this past Shabbat, we read of the mitzvah of tzedakah. The Torah describes the case…
Nedarim 81: The Next Generation
Adam and Cain, Noah and Cham, Abraham and Yishmael, Yitzchak and Eisav. Our children do…
Nedarim 66: Miss Israel
Everybody loves a good story. And what one cannot accomplish through direct teaching, one can…
Eikev: A Little Humility
Moshe Rabbeinu was a most humble person. We know this because the Torah tells us so, the only trait…
Nedarim 66: For the Children
"One may use as an opening [to annul a vow] one's own honour or the honour of…
Nedarim 64: I Didn't Mean It
"If only I would have known.." After many pages delineating the parameters of…
Nedarim 62: Can You Leave Me Alone?
It is always fascinating how a most technical, even obscure, discussion can reveal and lead to a…
Nedarim51: What a Party!
It is not uncommon for someone to lose their job due to something stupid they do at an office…
Nedarim 50: What Have You Been Drinking?!!?
Sadly, some people need stimulants--be they (legal) alcohol or (illegal) drugs--to stimulate…