It is for good reason that the lion is the king of the jungle. Powerful, courageous, fearless…
A Family Cap
Summer is the time for vacation, especially for students who look forward to such activities…
Nedarim 28: The Murderer and the Tax Collector
Dina demalchuta Dina, the law of the land is the law, is one of the most famous teachings of Jewish…
Nedarim 31: Look Who Loves Shabbat
The Mishna Berura - the most widely used halachic code of the 20th century - in his…
Nedarim 22: A Much Smaller Book
Imagine if instead of twenty-four books the Tanach consisted of only six. Strange as it…
Chukat: Dor Holech vDor Bah
It is in Parshat Chukat that we meet the second generation of the Jewish nation, the one that would…
Nedarim 21: It's Just Talk
The 1960's sitcom Get Smart[1] had as one of its heroes Hymie the robot.
Korach: Choose Wisely
This week's d'var Torah is dedicated in honour of my father Rabbi Joseph Kelman z…
Nedarim 20: Shame on Me
In the siddurim commonly in use today, on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, we pray that…
Nedarim 8: Let's Learn
The mitzvah of Talmud Torah has a dual objective. First and foremost, one learns so one will know…
Shelach Lecha: No Sin Here
Parshat Shelach Lecha is perhaps the most tragic parsha of the Chumash.
Nedarim 7: Time to Say Hello
In our second to last post of Masechet Ketubot we discussed the decision of Rabbi Yehudah…
Some Introductory Thoughts on Masechet Nedarim
“Better is it that one should not vow, than that one should vow and not pay” (Kohelet 5…
Some Thoughts on the Conclusion of Masechet Ketubot
One of the major benefits of studying Daf Yomi is that one is exposed to the entire breadth of the…
Shavuot: Strange Bedfellows
Chanukah and Purim. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret. The aforementioned…
Ketubot 104: After the Rebbe
The life of Rebbe, Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, marked a turning point in Jewish history. He was the one…
Ketubot 103: A Grave Matter
It is a sad spectacle when people fight over a dead man's estate. What can make…
Ketubot 102: It's What You Negotiate
No contract can cover all eventualities, and only through goodwill and compromise can disputes be…