In the last couple of posts, we discussed the fact that many of our prayers are likely to have…
Rosh Hashanah 16b: Better Not Pray Too Much
We are familiar with the term iyun tefillah from our daily davening, where iyun…
Rosh Hashanah 16: Why Bother to Pray?
"At four times the world is judged: On Pesach for produce; on Shavuot for the fruit of the…
Yom Yerushalayim Thoughts
"Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Beit Hamikdash...and no one ever said to his…
Rosh Hashanah 12: Rosh Hashanah Farming
Sometimes one can glean the most interesting information from the most unexpected places.
Rosh Hashanah 10: Does It Really Matter?
History is not something that greatly interested our Talmudic Sages. Of course, such was the norm…
Rosh Hashanah 9: Fasting and Feasting
"You shall afflict your soul on the ninth of the month [of Tishrei] in the evening, from…
Rosh Hashanah 6: My Word Is My Bond
"The first of Nissan is the New Year for festivals" (Rosh Hashanah 2a). There is no…
Rosh Hashanah 4: Where Is My Reward?
The defeat of Babylonians by Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE led to a (temporary) golden age of Jewish…
Some Opening Thoughts on Masechet Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah conjures up images of prayer, repentance, and new beginnings. It is the time of year…
Rosh Hashanah 2: A New Year for Kings
"Arba Rosh Hashana hem, there are four New Years; on the first of Nissan is the New Year for…
Behar: The End of the Torah
The Torah was edited with great precision. This is the idea behind the notion that "there is…
Yom Ha'atzmaut: The Most Important Mitzvah
One of the Rambam's principles of faith is the eternity of the Torah. While historical…
Beitza 25: Hurry Up and Be Patient
In Talmudic times, animals were generally slaughtered only when there was a known buyer ready to…
Beitza 24: Fishing on Yom Tov
Shabbat and Yom Tov are gifts to the Jewish people, and the Jewish people only. As such, we are…
Emor: The Joys of a Kohen
Being a kohen today is not what it used to be. While one may receive more aliyot and lead …
Beitza 20: The Path of Hillel
There is arguably no greater figure in Talmudic literature than that of Hillel the Elder. He…
Beitza 17b: To the Showers...
Often, when studying Gemara, we fail to appreciate how different day-to-day life was for our…