For those who do not live in Toronto--and perhaps for many who do--you may not be familiar with the…
Vaera: Searching for G-d?
"G-d spoke to Moshe, and said to him, 'I am the Lord. I revealed myself to Abraham, to…
Yevamot 99: A Healthy Diet
In our last post, we discussed why Rav Yochanan was so angry when
New Paths for Ba'alei Teshuva, Part 3
On one level, one could not help but be impressed by the intensity and earnestness at Aish Hatorah…
New Paths for Ba'alei Teshuva, Part 2
In early 1982, I began to study something called "The 48 Ways of Wisdom" one night a…
Yevamot 96: Beyond the Grave
Perhaps the greatest fear of man is that he will be forgotten, that ultimately his life will be…
Shemot: The Names Are the Same
"And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt". The above verse serves…
Yevamot 90: Changing with the Times
"Rav Elazar ben Yaakov said: I heard that the beit din may hit and punish not…
Yevamot 88: One Equals Two
"A woman whose husband went overseas, and one[1] came and told her, 'Your…
Yevamot 87: The Ways of Peace
"G-d did not find a vessel more pleasing for the Jewish people than peace" (Uktzin 3…
The Fast of the Eighth of Tevet: Lost in Translation
"I recall with distress that which befell me; with three blows He struck me this month...He…
Yevamot 89: The Top Three
"Three signs are there for this nation: they are rachmanim, merciful; bayshanim…
Vayigash: Family Feud
"Your servant, our father, said to us: You know that my wife bore to me two sons" (44:27…
Mai Chanukah
"Mai Chanukah? What is Chanukah?" (Shabbat 21b). To this rather strange question, the Gemara…
Yevamot 69: The Sweet Taste of Shmitta
One of the key distinctions between the land of Israel and the Diaspora is the ability to observe…
VaYeshev: The Sounds of Silence
It takes much thought and hard work to learn when to speak up and when to remain silent. Often…
Yevamot 65: Childless Isn't Barren
One of the famous concepts of Jewish law is the exemption of women from time-bound positive…
Yevamot 63: I Want Pea Soup
"The signature of G-d is truth" (Sanhedrin 64a). "Accept the truth from wherever it…