Midway through the month of Tammuz our religious focus shifts to observances commemorating the saddest events in our history. The destruction of the two temples, the murders and massacres of … more

The phrase, “aleh hamitzvot” (“these are the commandments”), appears twice in the Torah — in the concluding pasukim of Sefer Vayikra, and in our parasha, Matot-Masei, in … more

The truth is, it depends. The Torah, for example, says that if a person kills someone accidentally, the blood of the victim shall be avenged (Shmot 21:20). Chapter 19 in Devarim discusses the … more

A hot topic in Israel these days is “Hadata” “hadata” “hadata.” It means “religionization.” It doesn’t refer to religious coercion, to … more

To get a sense of what really lies beneath the campaign to boycott Israel—which is about much more than just boycotting Israel—it can be helpful to see how this issue is presented in the … more

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote a column on Sunday that asked the question, “Why Does Donald Trump Keep Dissing Jews?” But I have a better question, “Why do liberals who … more

T his week we commemorated the breaching of the Old City walls of Jerusalem by the Roman Tenth Legion on the 17th day of Tammuz in the year 70 C.E., heralding the beginning of the end of the Jewish … more

A  great tragedy unfolded when Moses sinned at the Waters of Dispute (Mei Merivah). As the Torah states in our parasha, Pinchas: “You [Moses] disobeyed My command in the desert of Zin … more

Bamidbar Chapter 26 is largely dedicated to another census of the Israelites, this time counting the people in the final months before they enter the land of Israel.  Owing to the midrash … more

F or many of us when we read the word aggadah , we assume that the subject deals with legend. However, after you read the book under review this week, the very concept of aggadah will take on a new, … more