The Torah begins with the famous words, “Bereishit bara Elokim ate hashamayim v’ate ha’aretz.” Translators and meforshim frequently disagree as to how to interpret the … more

My interest in the relationship between a person and his or her clothing goes back to my early days in graduate school. I was taking a course on human personality, under the tutelage of a … more

There was a time when I would only go out of my way to listen to speakers who were older and more experienced than I. Recently, however, I changed my preferences and began to seek out speakers, … more

by Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of January 8 2010/ 22 Tevet 5770 The first major attempt to stem the tide of Israelite growth consisted of Paroh ordering midwives to kill male babies at birth. … more

At the beginning of Parshat Behar, when the Torah describes the laws studied at Mt. Sinai, Rashi asks a question that is well-known by those who study his commentary: What does the topic of shmittah … more

Our parasha contains two pasukim that reiterate the prohibition of avodah zarah (idol worship) and its practices, the commandment to completely destroy all monuments associated with idol worship … more

This Shabbat has two complementary identities. It is known first and foremost as Shabbat Parashat Re’eh after the name of this week’s Torah reading, and secondly, as Shabbat Mevarchim … more

If leadership is the solution, what is the problem? On this, the Torah could not be more specific. The problem is a failure of responsibility. The early chapters of Genesis focus on two … more

What makes a leader? The question consumes countless books, seminars and leadership training programs in countless universities and business training models. But it’s worth noting that there … more

The beginning of our new book informs us of the order of travels, and how the people encamped around the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Those most immediately around the Mishkan were the Levite families, whose jobs consisted of carrying the different parts of the Mishkan. more