Adam and Eve, Noach and his anonymous wife, Abraham and Sarah (and Hagar), Yitzchak and Rivka,…
Eiruvin 5a-6b: Building Fences
The halachic system, like most other disciplines, has both a theoretical framework and a practical…
Eiruvin 4a: Measuring Up
It is impossible, at least from a Jewish perspective, to understand the Bible without the tools to…
Eruvin 3: Stirring the Pot
"A pot with two cooks is neither hot nor cold" (Eruvin 3a). This popular folk saying is…
Some Opening Thoughts on Eruvin
Judaism has long recognized that we need both private and public space. Man is both an individual…
Shabbat 157: Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Shabbat
Masechet Shabbat deals primarily with the 39 forbidden activities on Shabbat--especially that of…
Shabbat 151: Waiting for Mashiach?
Since at least the time of the Rambam, Jews have yearned for the coming of the Mashiach.
Shabbat 147b: Sin City
"Rav Helbo said: The wine of Perugitha and the water of Diomsith cut off the Ten Tribes from…
Shabbat 140b: Don't Eat Your Vegetables
The next time your mother tells you to eat your vegetables, you might try explaining to her that…
Shabbat 145: Home and Away
When one studies Talmud, it is easy to forget that Sages quoted on the same page may actually have…
Shabbat 139: Guilty as Charged!
While we are unable to discern G-d's ways--and it behooves us to not even try--Talmudic rabbis…
Day School Tuition Is In the News, with the Canadian Jewish News Reporting on Two Recent Initiatives
Once again, the issue of day school tuition is in the news. The Leo Baeck Day School (North Campus…
Parshat Zachor: Defeating Amalek
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you left Egypt” (Devarim 25:17). Amalek is the…
Shabbat 130a: Taking the Plunge
One of the saddest statements Jews can make is, “It’s tough to be a Jew”. Why would anyone want to…
Shabbat 118a: Shabbat Meals
“Make your Shabbat like a weekday, and have no need [to take from] people” (Shabbat 118a). In…
Yitro: Day of Rest
The aseret hadibrot present two very different reasons why we are to keep Shabbat. In…
Shabbat 105b: Anger Management
One of the foundational laws of Shabbat is that only productive acts are prohibited; “all who…
Shabbat 104a: Alphabetical Order
The Latin alphabet, used in many languages of today (including English), is a phonetic system where…