It’s always important to remind ourselves to be thankful for those things we take for granted…
Yoma 38: What a Loser
"And [we remember] these for degradation: those of Beit Garmu didnot want to teach on the…
Yoma 37: Winning the Lottery
One of the central features of the Yom Kippur service was that involving the two goats: one…
Shemot: The Ineffable Name
"And he saw an Egyptian man hitting a Hebrew of his brothers" (2:11). To the slave in…
Yoma 36: What Sin Comes First?
The kohen gadol performed vidui, confession, three times on Yom Kippur. The first…
Yoma 35: Not Such a Good Excuse
One of the most difficult things for we humans to do is to admit that we are wrong. Even when we…
Pushing the Door on Tuition Wide Open
Between the time of my writing my last article on making Jewish high school free and its appearance…
Dr. Marc Shapiro to Serve as Scholar in Residence at Kehillat Shaarei Torah (KST)
Dr. Marc Shapiro will be scholar in residence at Kehillat Shaarei Torah (KST) on Shabbat, December…
Yoma 28: Prehistoric Torah
"The Holy One blessed be He looked into Torah and created the world" (Breisheet Rabba 1:2…
Rabbi Moshe Taragin to Serve as Scholar in Residence at Or Chaim Minyan
Rabbi Moshe Taragin will be scholar in residence at Or Chaim Minyan on the Shabbat of December 7,…
Vayigash: Thank You for That
"And Joseph could not restrain himself" (45:1). After 22 years, Joseph and his brothers…
Yoma 22: Murder in the Mikdash
One of the fundamental teachings of Judaism is that nothing is inherently good or bad--it all…
Yoma 19: Yom Kippur Sleep
The kohen gadol had a hard day of work on Yom Kippur. The avodah, the special Yom Kippur…
Chanukah: Moving Home
On the surface, it is difficult to understand why we celebrate Chanukah, a festival commemorating…
Chanukah: Turkey and Latkes
Chanukah is a most popular holiday, even amongst “secular” Jews. For those living in…
Let's Make Jewish High School Free
The recently released Pew report on American Jewry has generated anguished discussion on the future…
Yoma 18: Look Who Saved Torah From Oblivion
Sometimes the choices we make turn out to be better than we could have imagined in our wildest…
Yoma 13: When the Competition Gets Tough...
“And he shall atone for himself and for his household” (Vayikra 16:6). The Rabbis…