I have always found this to be one the Haggadah’s fascinating sentences: “Metichilah ovdei avodah zarah hiyu avotainu, v’achshav karvanu HaMakom l’avodato (in the … more

Our parasha, Behaalotecha, is unique as it contains the only instance in the Torah with verses preceded and followed by an inverted letter nun (Bamidbar 10:35-36). One of the better-known … more

Chapter five of Pirkei Avot tells a poignant tale: “With ten tests our forefathers tested Hashem in the desert, as is stated … ‘they tested Me these ten times, and did not … more

Rosh Chodesh is one of the topics in this week’s Torah reading, parsha Bo: “The L-rd spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘This month shall be to you (Hachodesh … more

Balak, king of Moab, is the namesake of our parasha. He believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation and consequently sought to annihilate us before we … more

The public kriah (reading) of King Solomon’s Megillat Kohelet is one of the highlights of Shabbat Chol Hamoed Succot. According to many commentators, it is a précis of its author’s … more

In many ways, Parashat Toldot can be thought of as “the parasha of brachot,” since both Ya’akov and Eisav received blessings from their father Yitzchak. While … more

This Shabbat Shuvah is named after the stirring words of Hoshea that are found in our haftarah: Return, O Israel (Shuvah Yisrael), to the L-rd your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. … more

Sefer Bereishit contains the narratives of a number of larger-than-life individuals whose values and behaviors guide us until this very moment. In broad terms, it is the story of Adam and Eve, Noah, … more

Naaseh v’nishmah” (we will do and we will hear / understand) are arguably two of the most famous words that appear in this week’s parasha, Mishpatim. When the Jewish people uttered … more