There are two times in Sefer Bereishit when we encounter the phrase, “Va’ye’he acharei hadevarim ha’aleh” (“And it came to pass after these matters”), toward … more

Why was Abraham the first Jew? What happened to Noach? Last week at Yeshivat Orayta, we met a living legend, who, less with his words and more by the glint in his eye, provided the answer. On Oct. … more

The final five pasukim of chapter 13 in Parashat Lech Lecha are well known, since they contain two promises of the Almighty to Abram, namely, that his offspring will receive the Land of Israel as a … more

In this week parsha, Lech Lecha, we read about how when Avraham and Sarah embarked on their journey to the Land G-d would show them, they brought with them the “souls they made in … more

The post-Flood world should have been one in which mankind felt chastened and humbled before the Almighty, having just survived near universal decimation. Moreover, logic would dictate that they … more

And he sent the raven, which went back and forth until the water dried up from upon the land. And he sent the dove from being with him, to see whether the water had lowered from being on the … more

There are few things in life that can elicit a collective gasp from everyone in a room. A real shocking twist in a novel is limited to the reader, while the same twist in a film might be expected by … 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

Seconds, then minutes. The boat overturned in the murky waters of the Yarkon River, trapping the woman who had been energetically rowing moments before. Even the air bubbles had ceased. A small crowd … more

The Torah commands us twice to rejoice on Sukkot. For Shavuot it only says to rejoice one time. For Pesach “joy” is not mentioned at all (it’s difficult to rejoice when … more