torah

“And these are the ‘mishpatim’ (civil ordinances) that you shall place before them” (Shemos/Exodus 21:1) The miraculous Revelation at Sinai, at which the Jewish nation… Read More »Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

How would you feel? That is a question asked by a wide-ranging group of inquisitors ranging from kindergarten teachers chiding their immature charges, to philosophy… Read More »Position Impositions

Friday Night One day a gentile came to Shammai and asked him how many Torahs the Jewish people have. He answered two, a written one… Read More »Hillel-Shammai Approach

It is forbidden for a person to renounce possession of or sanctify his property (to the Temple or sacred causes) and [as a result] make… Read More »Chapter 5, Law 12 – Financial Planning

Mishna 10 Rabban Yochanan ben (son of) Zakkai had five [primary] students. They were: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkenos, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Yossi the… Read More »Chapter 2, Mishna 10-11(b): Piety or Stupidity?

Now Moshe’s father-in-law, Yisro, the chieftain of Midian, heard all that G-d had done for Moshe and for Israel, His people that HASHEM had taken… Read More »AHHHHHHHHH!

These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: #1236 – “I Want Your… Read More »Midah K’neged Midah Punishment is a Big Chesed

On the third day, when it was morning, there were sounds and lightening.[2] Kolos/sounds is spelled deficiently, as if it referred not to many sounds,… Read More »Splitting the Torah Atom

A literal reading of the Parsha tells us that Yitro, who was the high priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moshe, saw of the… Read More »Yisro’s Active Ingredient

All of the details of the legal-system, both in general and in particular, follow the rules and hierarchical, ordered ways of administering the world that… Read More »Chapter 6: The System Behind Divine Providence – Paragraph 5