"I do mitzvahs without feeling," "I didn't have a choice" — does that count as a mitzvah? Does an unintentional transgression count?
On Judaism's double standard on the importance of intent
Ki Sisa: Witchcraft: Illusion or Reality?
Purim: The Winning Argument
Terumah: Looking to Hire: Temple Guards
Mishpatim: Alternative Justice System
Yitro: Different Versions of the Ten Commandments?!
Beshalach: Four camps at sea
Bo: Does G-d Change His Mind?
Va’era: Feeling Frustrated?
Shemot: Wonder Women in Egypt
Vayechi: Marital Harmony and the Divine Spirit
Vayigash: Growth From Hardship
Chanukah: The Feminine Side of Chanukah
Vayeshev: The Secret of Success
Vayishlach: The Master Solution
Vayetzei: The Reasons for Antisemitism
Toldot: Isaac’s Legacy
Chayei Sarah: The Historic Match
Vayeira: Fake Hospitality?
Lech Lecha: Renewal, Joy, and Progress
Noach: The Industrial Revolution of the Tower of Babel
Hakhel: A Once-in-Seven-Years Affair
Yom Kippur: Personalized Repentance
Rosh Hashana: Struggle and Success
Ki Setzei: A Chassidic Perspective on Women’s Rights
Shoftim: G-d’s Commando
Re’eh: Why is there Poverty in the World?
Ekev: Why Did Moses Break the Tablets?
V’eschanan: The Lesson of the Shema
Devarim: The Right Time for Rebuke
Matos Masei: Egoism or Altruism
Pinchas: A Challenging Relationship
Balak: God’s Secret Logic
Chukat: Moshe Hit the Rock. So What?
Gimmel Tammuz: Leaders Without Borders
Shelach: Solving Forgetfulness
Behaalotecha: The End of the Chain?
Ethics of Our Fathers 4: Schadenfreude
Naso: To Be a Mensch
Shavuot: What Does An Angel Look Like?
Shavuot: “Beauty is Vain…” Really?
Behar (Lag Baomer): Rabbi Akiva’s Students – Lovers or Haters?
Kedoshim: Why Is Judaism Obsessed With Blessings?
Acharei: What’s Between the Lines?
Tazria: Lamplighters
Pesach: Security Measures
Pesach: Will Everything Be Okay?
Zachor: Arguing With Amalekites
Purim: Purim According to Kabbalah
Pekudei: How Were the Pyramids Built?
Elon Musk tweeted that aliens built them, the prevailing tradition is that the Israelites built them, and Egyptian scholars claim that Egyptians built them. But everyone is still amazed: how did they manage to move such heavy stones? And why couldn’t the Levites use the same technology in erecting the Tabernacle?
Siyum Harambam: Can I Master the Entire Torah?
Vayakhel: Donations, Demons and Wills
Ki Sisa: Jewish Hygiene
Tetzaveh: Haman’s Mistake
Terumah: Atonement or Elevation?
Mishpatim: Our Goal in Life
Yisro: Jungle or Orchard?
Beshalach: Gold Chasers and Grave Diggers
Bo: The Public Declaration
Va’era: Judaism’s Universal Message
Shemot: What Exercise Teaches Us
Vayechi: The Evil Eye
Chanukah: Why The Conflict?
Vayetzei: What Makes a Hero?
Vayishlach: When Success Breeds Humility
Toldot: Turning a New Leaf
Chayei Sarah: The Admission Test
Every new bride goes through an ‘admission test’ in her new family. In Abraham’s family, there was a very high bar. Rebecca was accepted into the family only when she managed to bring several miracles into her home: A Cloud of Glory, a growing dough, and a candle that wouldn’t go out. What do those miracles represent?
Vayigash: Pay Attention
Lech-Lecha: Why Is a Jewish Lifestyle so Expensive?
Noach: When Noah Didn’t Argue
When G-d tells Noah that he plans to destroy humanity, Noah does not pound on the table and demand mercy. Why? Why didn't he act like Moses, who pounded on the table and prevented the Children of Israel from being punished?
A deeper reading will shed light on Noah's reasoning and teach us how to judge others.
Tishrei: The Journey of the Holidays
Why a Leap Year?
Simchat Beit Hashoevah – The importance of tradition
Ki Teitze: Judaism and Polygamy?
Ekev: Must I Do Everything Myself
Va’etchanan: Are You Emotional or Intellectual?
Tisha B’av: Rejoicing in Tragedy
Menachem-Av: Solace Through Yearning
Balak: The Breach in the Wall – A Good Development or a Bad One?
On which date did the Babylonians invade Jerusalem? Was it the ninth of Tammuz or the seventeenth? An apparent contradiction in ancient Jewish sources is resolved by examining biblical military strategies — with the insight and awareness that that a bad situation can always be turned into a good one.
Pinchas: How to Deal with Bias
Ethics of Our Fathers 5: Yesteryear of Miracles
Chukat: Dealing With Resentment
Shelach: Statistics and Free Will
Behar-Bechukosai: Three Layers of Comfort
Naso: Be Smart and Apologize!
Behaalotecha: Is It Really Never Too Late?
Shavuot: The Anatomy of a Custom
Emor: High Court on the Dock
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Why Did They Cry?
Shemini: Behind the Kosher Scenes
Pesach: Four Questions for Life
On Passover eve, we all gather around the Seder table and turn our attention to the children’s recital of the Four Questions. These Questions are not just children’s play. They have deep meaning and relevance for every person’s life. The following pages contain a new and original interpretation for the ancient and beloved text.