Our Sages ordained that we should read parshat VaEtchanan on the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av. As they phrased it, “tzumu v’tzlu, fast and pray”. On…
One does not have to look very hard to find sources within our tradition that allow, encourage, or even demand that we “hate” others. While the…
Each one of the five books of the Chumash has a unique central theme, be it the choosing of the Jewish nation (Breisheet), redemption (Shemot), …
I have long had an interest in Jewish history, finding it inspiring and illuminating to be part of a people who go back 4,000 years, who have lived…
When the eighth day of Pesach falls on Shabbat, those of us living outside of Israel lain the special Torah reading for Yom Tov Sheni[1], while those…
Portugal is one of the few countries in Europe in which no Jews were deported during World War ll. The only Portuguese Jews to be killed in the…
The ancient town of Belmonte is nestled in the mountains of Portugal, with breathtaking views and beautifully cobblestoned streets steeped in history…
When one thinks of recent world powers, it is unlikely many would think of Portugal. But had we lived 500 years ago our thinking would be very…
I last travelled abroad in February 2020 to visit our daughter studying in Israel. Arriving back in Toronto I smiled upon seeing the signs to let…
Success and great leadership go hand in hand. That is why organizations, sports teams and even countries can continue to excel or flounder year after…
In a world in which image and marketing play such a crucial role, perception is often more important than reality. In fact, perception often creates…
Judaism has always understood that miracles have very little long-term impact on one's behaviour. During our nation's infancy in Egypt miracles were…
The lust for power can destroy a person. It is amazing how people who are otherwise very competent are blinded to reality when the smell of power is…
Having the right people for the wrong job can lead to tragic consequences. Such was the fate of the meraglim. Twelve handpicked leaders, who…
“[Then journeyed] the flag of the camp of Dan m'aseif, the gatherer, of all the camps” (Bamidbar 10:25). As the Jewish people prepared to march to…
The first chapters of the book of Bamidbar focus on readying the people to enter the Land. The primary focus is on the physical aspects of entry; the…
In order to be effective, leaders must be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of the general populace. It is not only fact, but also perception…
This year, Shavuot falls on a Sunday. This rather unremarkable observation is of little import today; but had we been living in Temple times, or even…
For those living in the Province of Ontario—that includes yours truly—today is Election Day! While Jewish law may quibble with some of the modern…
Judaism demands that we do what’s right because it’s right, without thought of recognition or reward. Similarly, our avoidance of wrong should be…
“I am the Lord your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt”. While we associate these words with the first of the aseret hadibrot, the words…
Lag BaOmer is a mysterious holiday. There is no mention of it in the Gemara, a fact that led the Chatam Sofer to object to the many practices of the…
Sefer Vayikra deals with the role of the Temple and that of the Kohanim in Jewish life. So it seems quite strange that the laws of the five Biblical…
Commenting on the Torah's charge "to be holy, since I the Lord your G-d am holy" (Vayikra, 19:2) the Ramban explains that it is not enough to keep…
Four, seven, ten, eighteen, forty, seventy, for Jews around the world have an immediate and reflective association(s). The four questions, seven days…
“Do not follow the ways of Egypt, where you once lived” (Vayikra 18:2). The Jewish people's formative years were those spent in the land of Egypt,…
“Could it be from Rosh Chodesh?” the authors of the Hagadah ask, raising the possibility that one might celebrate the Pesach[1] and tell the story of…
The home plays a critical—if not the critical—role in the development of Jewish life. The efforts of schools, shuls, camps, Israel trips, and the…
During Jewish leap years, Parshat HaChodesh, the special maftir portion we read on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, generally coincides with…
Rav Soloveitchik argued that there is no independent field of Jewish philosophy. Rather, this master of Jewish philosophy—with a Ph.D. in neo-Kantian…
"Moshe said to Aharon: This is what G-d meant when He said I will be sanctified amongst those who are nearest to me” (Vayikra 10:3). So we read of…
If one were to survey 100 Jews and ask them their least favourite book of Torah it is likely that the vast majority of them would say sefer Vayikra.…
One of the fiercest debates amongst Biblical commentators of the medieval period was to what extent, if at all, parts of the Torah may be seen as…
Often it is the crises of life that strengthen us. By confronting the challenges that surround us, we emerge more resilient and wiser from the…
"There is no man on earth of such righteousness that does good and is free from sin" (Kohelet 7:20). Being human means to sin, and since G-d created…
“G-d said to Moses, ‘Write these words for yourself, ki al pi hadevarim, since it is through these words that I have made a covenant with you and…
The billions of dollars spent by the fashion industry, not to mention the celebrity status of fashion gurus, testify to the importance attached to…
The Torah is a description of the relationship between G-d and man, and between G-d and the Jewish people. The Torah begins with G-d’s creation of…
Isaac Rabi, winner of the 1944 Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, was asked what inspired him to become a…
How does one come close to G-d? How can one hold on to great religious experiences as we go through the daily routine of life? This was the problem…
This past week, Daf Yomi began learning masechet Moed Katan, “the little holiday.” This signals that our two years’ study of seder Moed, the second…
In his categorization of mitzvot, the Rambam lists as the first mitzvah belief in G-d. He begins his monumental code by telling us that “the…
I write these words as I sit looking out the window at the absolutely beautiful snow that adorns our streets, homes, trees and all else outdoors. If…
The book of Shemot details the emergence of the Jewish people as a nation. Though descending from spiritual giants, the nascent nation displayed…
One of the great difficulties we often have is making a clear distinction between people and the ideas that they espouse. While one might reject an…
One often hears people bemoaning the dearth of leadership that seems to surround us. Whether it is in politics, religious life or in the sphere of…
One of the most well-known Talmudic passages of masechet Megillah is the teaching of Rava that “one is obligated l’beshumei, to drink, on Purim,…
After years of tranquility in Egypt the inevitable happens and the plague of anti-Jewish decrees rears its ugly head. The accomplishments of Yosef…
“Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One is obligated to read the Megillah at night and lishnota, repeat it, during the day” (Megillah 4a). While this may…
One of the recurring and unfortunate themes of the book of Breisheet is that of sibling rivalry and even hatred: Cain and Hevel, Yitzchak and…