Gematria Galore & The Source for Rabbinic Mitzvot
In our fixed calendar of today, there is no doubt as to which day Yom Tov is. Yet the practice of one day in Israel and two days outside still applies.
Ultimate Freedom
One can live free of restriction and obligation and even own slaves, but actually be a slave because he feels beholden to society’s expectations. Conversely, many are physically enslaved but truly free because they maintain their spiritual independence.
Freedom To Focus
All of us should express our appreciation of talmud Torah’s importance by enabling those devoted to its study to focus on that important mission.
Welcoming Elul, Haftara Hullabaloo, And an Animal Appendix
We will bentch Rosh Chodesh this Shabbat and announce the coming month – Rosh Chodesh Elul yihyeh machar b’yom Rishon uvyom Sheini…
How We Raise Ourselves – The Greatness of Torah Learning
Even a single person’s Torah learning makes the whole world worthwhile!
A Blueprint For Berachot
Eikev gives us the source of the mitzvah to daven. Once again, Rabbinic law has given us the how many times a day, at what times, and what to say. It should, however, never escape us that the Torah’s command to “Serve G-d with all our heart” is the core of our davening.
Name That Shabbat (And The Big Ten)
According to our Tradition, not only was it decreed that the adult male population of the generation of the Midbar should wander for 40 years and die out without entering the Holy Land (except for Yehoshua and Kalev), but they actually died on Tisha B’Av – about 15,000 each year.
The Three Pillars
This is why Rebbe Yossi ben Kisma rejected a substantial monetary offer to move to a city lacking a strong Torah presence. He explained that he prioritized Torah learning and good deeds over money because we take only the former with us to the next world (Avot 6:10).
Rav Kook’s Message for Tisha B’Av 5785
The Churban
“All the Roman commanders who saw the internal conflict among the Jews viewed it as a gift from heaven and urged an immediate...
An Alef-Bet Mnemonic & A Devarim Breakdown
The whole Book of Devarim takes place in one location – Arvot Moav – over just 37 days.
My, How Time Flies
Each time a phenomenon appears in units of forty in the Torah text, a new reality is about to be born.
The Longest Double & Tricky Taxations
The first notable number is 42. That’s the number of places in which Bnei Yisrael encamped, from the time they left Egypt until they stood poised at the threshold of Eretz Yisrael. If you count the places, you will need to include the place they left Egypt from (Ra-m’seis) among the 42 places.
Sustaining Peace
As opposed to the word “peace,” which is related to the word “appeasement,” the Hebrew word “shalom” means whole or complete.
The Enduring Bond Of The Jewish People
We daven together in synagogues that feel familiar whether we’re in Toronto or Tel Aviv. We mourn together when tragedy strikes and we celebrate together when a lost hostage comes home or an aliyah flight lands in Ben-Gurion Airport.
Tribal Tallies & A Syllable Syllabus
If Parshat Bamidbar showed why the Book of Bamidbar is called the Book of Numbers, then Parshat Pinchas confirms that name.
Shabbat: Understanding Rest and Creation
Working six days and resting on the seventh reminds us that Hashem did the same when He created the world. Shabbat is a weekly reminder of how the world came to be. It was created by Hashem, and is not just here on its own.
Fast Fallout & Three-Letter Sedras
Balak precedes the Fast of the Fourth Month (that’s what the navi calls Shiv’a Asar b’Tammuz) almost 80% of the time. That includes, in Chutz LaAretz, the years when Shavuot is Friday-Shabbat and the sedra right before the fast is Chukat-Balak.
A Pivotal Pause For The Para Aduma
Unlike the two previous sedras of Shelach and Korach, each of which were two-thirds story and a third juxtapositional mitzvot, Chukat’s three mitzvot are part of the same mitzvah topic – namely, para aduma (the red heifer), with the bulk of the sedra being a string of episodes in the Midbar-wandering period.
Were We Saved From Destruction Without Teshuvah?
Perhaps the fullest picture of what is truly unfolding emerges only when we consider most, if not all, of these perspectives together.
July 4, 2025: The United States and American Jews at a Crossroads
In place of conventional warfare, terrorist organizations have emerged that have taken terrorist activities to a new level.
Ben Zoma’s Four Questions
We can learn from people with good character. And we can even learn from people with bad character how not to live our lives. We can extract true lessons when we hear how an enemy criticizes us. We can learn from children and those in all strata of society.
Our Need for Personal Growth
Man’s fate is in his own hands – he decides for himself and for the world. Hashem did not create us as finished products, but with the need and responsibility to develop ourselves properly.
Post-Revolt Priestly Presents
The rise in rank for words and letters is due to Korach being above average in words and letters per pasuk. Korach is a short sedra (in a sefer with many long sedras) with fairly long pesukim (in a sefer with lots of short-pasuk sedras).
Month Math & Mitzvah Categories
Shelach by the numbers:
Total pesukim: 119, ranks 21st (of 54 sedras)
Total words: Ranks 27th
Mitzvot: 3, ranks 27th
The Remarkable Israeli Soldier: Holy Of Holies
This generation is truly remarkable. They do not flee from hardship. They strive for the elite units, the most dangerous positions, not because of ego or pride, but because they yearn to be protectors.
Our Past and Future
The last piece addressed our relationships with peers – including spouses, friends, and family. In addition to those relationships, we should also have meaningful relationships with the generations that precede and follow our own.
What the Loss of Tefillin Can Teach Us About Techeiles Today
While a few, such as certain Amoraim and Natronoi Gaon, retained access, it became almost exclusive to non-Jewish royalty. The last known Jewish mention came from the Ramban in the 13th century, who noted that the Melech Goyim – possibly James I of Aragon – still wore it in his day.
B’ha-alo-t’cha And A Little-Known Fast
In our time, back in 1982, the costliest battle of the war in Lebanon claimed the lives of about 30 IDF soldiers on this date. Thus, the 20th of Sivan is indeed a tragic day. You can find Selichot written for the day in some siddurim.
Our Family and Friends
Many prefer death over loneliness.
It’s Just Another Monday
We have been here before. We have seen how quickly the world turns. How Jewish suffering is minimized. How our tears are measured against the political utility of those who hate us.
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