torah

Non-Jews have reported that during their prayer services absolute silence reigns. A Jew, on the other hand, tends to feel at home in shul, and… Read More »Noisy Shuls

Yanky was a regular yeshiva student. He got along well with his friends and was very good in class. One could say that he was… Read More »Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three

“And [Rivka] finished giving [Eliezer] to drink, and she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels as well, until they will have finished drinking.’”… Read More »Beyond Our Control

Given (lit., ‘being that it is known”) that the reward for good deeds and the good we will merit if we observe G-d’s ways as… Read More »Chapter 9, Law 1(a) – The Story of Planet Earth, Part I

There is a well known concept that when one makes a sincere sacrifice for the benefit of another, that sacrifice will never go unrewarded. Rav… Read More »Wait For Me!

“…foremost in rank and foremost in power. Water-like impetuosity – you cannot be foremost, because you mounted your father’s bed…”(49:3,4) Yaakov rebukes Reuvein for acting… Read More »A King-Size Mistake

There is an interesting Midrashic interpretation of two words in this week’s portion that seem to contrast starkly with their simple meaning. In fact, on… Read More »Words Like Arrows

At the end of the book of Bereshith, as we read in this week’s Torah reading, there is little warning as to what the very… Read More »Redemption from All Exiles

And Yaakov concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought in to his people. (Breishis… Read More »In That Way He Never Died

Yaakov Avinu had strong words for Shimon and Levi (Bereishis 49:5-7). Rashi explains that they were the brothers who discussed killing Yoseif. How do we… Read More »Shimon and Levi and Their Tikun