Portugal Jul 29, 2022

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…

Massei Jul 29, 2022

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 Jul 28, 2022

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…

Portugal Jul 27, 2022

The ancient town of Belmonte is nestled in the mountains of Portugal, with breathtaking views and beautifully cobblestoned streets steeped in history…

Portugal Jul 26, 2022

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…

Portugal Jul 22, 2022

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…

Pinchas Jul 22, 2022

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…

Balak Jul 15, 2022

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…

Chukat Jul 8, 2022

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…

Korach Jul 1, 2022

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…

Shelach Lecha Jun 24, 2022

Having the right people for the wrong job can lead to tragic consequences. Such was the fate of the meraglim. Twelve handpicked leaders, who…

Behaalotecha Jun 17, 2022

“[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…

Naso Jun 10, 2022

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…

Bamidbar Jun 3, 2022

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…

Shavuot Jun 2, 2022

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…

Jun 2, 2022

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…

Bechukotai May 27, 2022

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…

Behar May 20, 2022

“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 Ba'omer May 18, 2022

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…

Emor May 13, 2022

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…

Kedoshim May 6, 2022

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…

Yom Ha'atzmaut May 5, 2022

Four, seven, ten, eighteen, forty, seventy, for Jews around the world have an immediate and reflective association(s). The four questions, seven days…

Acharei Mot Apr 29, 2022

“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,…

Pesach Apr 15, 2022

“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…

Metzora Apr 8, 2022

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…

Tazria Apr 1, 2022

During Jewish leap years, Parshat HaChodesh, the special maftir portion we read on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, generally coincides with…

Purim Mar 26, 2022

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…

Shemini Mar 21, 2022

"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…

Tzav Mar 14, 2022

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.…

Vayikra Mar 8, 2022

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…

Pekudei Mar 4, 2022

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…

Vayakhel Feb 25, 2022

"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…

Ki Tisa Feb 18, 2022

“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…

Tetzaveh Feb 11, 2022

The billions of dollars spent by the fashion industry, not to mention the celebrity status of fashion gurus, testify to the importance attached to…

Terumah Feb 4, 2022

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…

Moed Katan Feb 3, 2022

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…

Mishpatim Jan 28, 2022

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…

Moed Katan Jan 23, 2022

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…

Yitro Jan 21, 2022

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…

Tu Bishvat Jan 17, 2022

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…

Beshalach Jan 14, 2022

The book of Shemot details the emergence of the Jewish people as a nation. Though descending from spiritual giants, the nascent nation displayed…

Bo Jan 7, 2022

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…

Vaera Dec 31, 2021

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…

Megillah Dec 27, 2021

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,…

Shemot Dec 24, 2021

After years of tranquility in Egypt the inevitable happens and the plague of anti-Jewish decrees rears its ugly head. The accomplishments of Yosef…

Megillah Dec 20, 2021

“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…

Vayechi Dec 20, 2021

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…

Vayigash Dec 17, 2021

Since the time of Yosef, infighting has been the Achilles heel of the Jewish people, causing untold pain, suffering and national calamity. So much of…

Taanit Dec 14, 2021

It would not be overstating the case to claim that the overarching goal of the Torah is creating a society in which G-d’s chosen nation can combine…

Miketz Dec 3, 2021

Everybody likes a good story. This obvious truism explains why most of us find the book of Breisheet more interesting than the book of Vayikra, with…