torah

It is the way of people who have repented (lit., ‘masters of repentance’) to be lowly and exceedingly humble. If fools mock them on account… Read More »Chapter 7, Law 8 – The Practicalities of Return

These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: CD # 1216 Are Women… Read More »A Tale of Two Speeches—One Out Loud and One in Silence

Torah is greater than priesthood and kingship, for kingship is acquired with 30 qualities, priesthood is acquired with 24, whereas the Torah is acquired with… Read More »Chapter 6, Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 26-27 – Impacting Others — and Ourselves

This week we read the parsha of Ki Savo–when you will enter the Land of Israel–which begins with the commandment to bring the first fruits… Read More »Spiritual Ups and Downs

Simcha is an overused but less understood concept. It expresses feelings of “joy”, sentiments of “great pleasure”, of “happiness”, or even “elation”. Highlighting how central… Read More »The Joy of Mitzvah Observance

“Because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with happiness and goodness of heart, when you had everything in abundance”(28:47) The Torah attributes all of… Read More »The Root Of Unhappiness

I have in earlier years written about the strange requirement that the Torah imposes upon the Jewish farmer in the land of Israel when he… Read More »Jewish History and the Farmer

Yeshaya 60:1 This week’s haftorah brings us to the final dimensions of the consolation of the Jewish people. The prophet Yeshaya shares with us a… Read More »Haftorah Commentary Parshas Ki Savo

There is nothing more disheartening than a curse. And this week the Torah singles out specific violations that are worthy of the epithet, “cursed is… Read More »Fine Print

Recently over twenty-one thousand football fans came out to watch their favorite team. Nothing new about that you may say, except that those thousands were… Read More »Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two