Whether exploring a new twist on a favorite topic, debating a taboo subject, or learning Jewish history on our heritage tours, Torah in Motion constantly seeks to expand the horizon of Jewish thought.
Bava Batra Jul 5, 2017

Two of most central pillars of Jewish faith, G-d’s foreknowledge of all that will occur and free choice granted to man, seemingly—and…

Bava Batra Jun 28, 2017

There is something very special about being pregnant with one’s first child. One has grandiose dreams (hopefully) of carrying a great Torah…

Bava Batra Jun 15, 2017

One of the great disparities between the modern Western mode of thought and traditional Jewish thought is the concept of egalitarianism. Modern…

Bava Batra Jun 12, 2017

“One who writes his property for others [in his will] and leaves his children [with nothing]—what is done is done, but the spirit of our…

Bava Batra Jun 8, 2017

One of the differences one notices in teaching adults, as opposed to children, is that the former are generally less inclined to respond to questions…

Bava Batra Jun 1, 2017

One of the primary lessons of sefer Breisheet is that birth order matters little. Yitzchak, Yaakov and Yosef were all younger brothers, in Yosef…

Bava Batra May 11, 2017

Here is a great trivia question to try on a friend. Who was Noach’s wife? What was Abraham’s mother’s name? Don’t feel bad if…

Bava Batra May 4, 2017

In our last post, we discussed the Gemara’s claim that the punishment for false weights is greater than that for sexual immorality. As the…

Bava Batra May 2, 2017

All too often, we equate being a religious Jew with the observance of Shabbat, kashrut and taharat hamishpacha. Without at all minimizing these…

Bava Batra Apr 24, 2017

We live in an age of great skepticism—often for good reason. In a time where science-with its demand for rigorous proofs, detailed…

Bava Batra Apr 8, 2017

The third chapter of Bava Batra is some 30 pages long, making it one of the longest in the Talmud. It is focused on the rules of acquisition of…

Bava Batra Apr 5, 2017

It was at the well that Abraham’s servant met Rivka, Yaakov met Rachel and Moshe met Tzippora. It is hard for us--who, when thirsty,…

Bava Batra Mar 19, 2017

If you are going to pick a fight with someone, it’s best to know who your adversary is. There are certain people with whom it just doesn’…

Bava Batra Mar 16, 2017

Canadian law requires one to keep tax records for six years, after which time they can be destroyed and government audits are no longer possible.…

Bava Batra Mar 5, 2017

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, posits that it takes 10,000 hours of practice for people to become expert in any field, be they NHL hockey…

Bava Batra Feb 28, 2017

It is unlikely that Yehoshua ben Gamla would make very many listings of the five or even ten most important Sages of Talmudic times – let alone…

Bava Batra Feb 23, 2017

It is hard to imagine what the Jewish world would be like without Rashi. Well, maybe not so hard. Without Rashi our understanding of Chumash would be…

Bava Batra Feb 20, 2017

Every once in a while one comes across a Talmudic story that makes one shake one’s head in disbelief. As we discussed in our last post, the…

Bava Batra Feb 15, 2017

The opening Mishna of Bava Batra teaches that in the interest of privacy, one neighbour can force the other to build a wall dividing their common…

Bava Batra Feb 12, 2017

Visiting Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin as Torah in Motion “Journeyed through Jewish History”, sitting in the beautifully rebuilt, but…

Bava Batra Feb 7, 2017

The Ramah in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 249:1) rules that the mitzva of tzedakah can only be fulfilled by giving to the poor. This…

Bava Batra Feb 5, 2017

“We force him [the resident of a courtyard] to contribute to the building of the guard’s gate” (Bava Batra 7b). When we think of a…

Bava Batra Feb 2, 2017

The opening pages of Bava Batra discuss how neighbours can force one another to build a fence between their properties. As we discussed in a prior…

Bava Batra Jan 29, 2017

“Rav Chisda said: One may not destroy a beit knesset until another one is built” (Bava Batra 3b). After spending close to two double-…