Pesach and Sukkot are the twin pillars of the Jewish year. They are exactly six months apart, each…
Yevamot 2: Yours to Discover
Masechet Yevamot opens by listing the fifteen women who "exempt their co-wives and the co-…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Yevamot
Masechet Yevamot gets a bad rap. Many consider it amongst the most difficult masechtot to…
Some Concluding Thoughts on Seder Moed
The Jewish people had sinned, and their future stood in the balance. G-d'…
Yom Kippur: A Most Beautiful Day
"Rav Yochanan said: Were it not written in the text, it would be impossible for us to say…
Chagigah 16: Good Intentions, Bad Results
"The gates of repentance are always open". Yom Kippur is predicated on the possibility…
Chagigah 14: Acher, Please Return
One of the hallmarks of the Western world is its inclusiveness. Great attempts are made to make…
Rosh Hashanah: Do I Need to Pray?
"On Rosh Hashanah, we read 'on the seventh month on the first day', and the…
Chagigah 10: Where Is the Text?
A question I have often been asked by non-observant Jews runs as follows: Since cars were not yet…
Chagigah 9: FOMO--Don't Miss Out
With the beginning of selichot season (at least for Ashkenazim), we turn our thoughts to…
Vayelech: Looking Ahead
Imagine being told on your deathbed that your life’s work may be for naught. Moshe Rabbeinu…
Chagigah 5: The Gates of Tears
“Even though the gates of prayer are closed, the gates of tears are never closed”. With…
Chagigah 3: There Is Always Something New
Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the Yamim Tovim, especially in Temple times, was the coming…
Ki Tavo: A Covenant of Love
With less than two weeks until Rosh Hashanah, the theme of teshuva begins to take centre…
What We Talk About When We Talk About War
In this, what was the summer of our discontent, it is worth looking at the words that were commonly…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Chagigah
The mitzvah of aliyah laregel--going up to Jerusalem on Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot--was a…