The Gemora in Megillah teaches us that Esther requested, “Kavuni l’doros – Affix me for all generations,” please write my story for posterity. This is a very strange request. We know that a common denominator of all our great...
The Medresh (Tanchuma Tisa 3) states that Moshe said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, “Ribono Shel Olam! When I die, no one will mention me!” Hakadosh Baruch Hu replied, “I swear, just as you are now standing and teaching them parashas Shekalim and you...
Is one allowed to eat blood? Eating blood is as bad as it’s going to get. The Torah says in a number of places “lo sochlu cal dam”- do not eat any blood. Not only are we not allowed to...
Upon reading Parashat Vayakhel, we cannot help but be struck – and perplexed – by the Torah’s verbosity. The Torah laboriously repeats all the details regarding the construction of the Mishkan which were already presented earlier, in Parashat Teruma....
Mi’sheh’nichnas Adar marbim b’simcha, When Adar arrives, simcha increases. Can it be with the advent of a new month, simcha automatically enters the picture, transforming all our days to “happy days”? Does Adar have special...
Preserving a Letter There is something very intriguing about these parshios Vayakhel & Pekudei. Anybody even slightly familiar with the Torah is aware of its unique conciseness. Complete sagas, rich, complex, and profound, are often depicted in a few short...
INGREDIENTS: Salad 1 bag defrosted shelled edamame 4-6 Persian cucumbers, chopped 1 bunch scallions, chopped 2 avocados, chopped Dressing: 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c rice vinegar 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp grated ginger 1 clove ginger,...
At the request of his parents, I recently met with a young man who had stopped going to Shul on Shabbos morning. (People think when we get semicha, Rabbis get a magic wand that we can wave and...
The story of the rabbit and the turtle, often known as “The Tortoise and the Hare,” is a classic fable tale that has been passed down through generations and goes as follows: Once upon a time, there was...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I’m married for a year and a half. I have a problem. I can’t stand my husband’s best friend. I feel like he’s a bad influence on my...