There is a mystery at the heart of the biblical story of Abraham, and it has immense implications for our understanding of Judaism. Who was Abraham and why was he chosen? The answer is far … more

The Torah sometimes says something of fundamental importance in what seems like a minor and incidental comment. There is a fine example of this near the beginning of this parsha. In last … more

O ur parasha begins with Moshe Rabbeinu gathering the entire Jewish people before him, at which point we would expect some sort of listing of “the things that Hashem commanded to make.” … more

Sometimes, you have to be willing to take a stand, even if your goal is just to keep standing. I don’t remember what it was that Barak had done that had so angered our sadistic first … more

Everyone who is familiar with the story of Ruth knows the Talmudic sentiment (Yevamot 69a, 77a and Ketuvot 7b) that a Moabite female is permitted to join the Jewish people. The Talmud has a classic … more

We have been on a spiritual journey since the beginning of Chodesh Elul. This month helps us to focus upon what is false and what is real, in order that we may pursue matters of ultimate spiritual … more

I am a big of a fan of Menachem Begin. One of the things I most admire about him is his tenacity in serving as opposition in Israeli politics for close to 30 years before becoming Prime Minister … more

The sensei clapped his hands loudly — “Yame!” (“Stop!”) — and the entire dojo went silent.  We all gathered and sat as our sensei strode to the front of … more

I read the story quite some time ago. It was told by a young woman who boarded an airplane early one winter Friday morning. She was on her way to Chicago from New York to spend a weekend there … more

As the main character in the story of the book of Bereshit, our forefather Yitzchak gets all of one chapter before the tale switches its focus to Yaakov. Towards the end of chapter 26, Yitzchak … more