Bear with me as I make a case here. Shmot 4:14-16: After giving a number of excuses for why he should not be the Deliverer, including that he is uncomfortable with his own speech-abilities, G-d … more

It is reasonable to claim that the Torah is divided into two parts: narrative and law. Sometimes, law is intertwined in the presentation of the narrative; sometimes the narrative informs our … more

The act of a kiss appears twice in our parsha, Vayechi. The first time is when Yosef presents his sons to Yaakov for a blessing. The second time is immediately after Yaakov dies, when Yosef … more

My wife and I first lived in Queens and there we befriended a couple — the husband worked for the district attorney. One Shabbos he told us about a “Yom Kippur moment” he … more

One of the more popular questions asked about Chanukah is why is it celebrated eight days if the miracle of the oil was only for seven days? Meaning, if the people who rededicated the holy Temple … more

It seems that every week another famous personality is outed as a predator or abuser, and publicly fired and condemned. Most of these cases involve a man using his position of power to get away with … more

This week’s parsha, Vayishlach, is replete with life-events that did not go the way those involved in them would have wanted. And yet, positive thinking people try to find silver linings. … more

Yaakov spends 20 years living in Lavan’s house. He has his rows with Lavan – more than a third of the parsha, Vayetzei, is dedicated to their dialogues. And it isn’t pretty. … more

I wondered what it was like for Yitzchak and Rivkah to bare their souls before the Almighty in their hopes of having a child. Yitzchak pleaded with G-d opposite his wife (or perhaps, as Rashbam … more

Take a careful look at Bereishit 24:67: “And Yitzchak brought Rivka to his mother’s tent. He took Rivka, she became his wife, and then he loved her, and then he was comforted over the … more