Parshas כִּי תֵצֵא War — What Is It Good For? לֶחֶם: bread מִלְחָמָה: war כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ ה’ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ...

Article abstract for Parashat Ki Tavo: The word להשכיל (derived from the root שכל) generally means to become wiser, more educated. And...

The Torah says, “A judge you shall not curse and a prince/king in your nation shall you not curse” (Ex. 22:27). This passage forbids...

Parshas כִּי תָבוֹא There Is Nothing Greater אָמֵן: Amen אֶמוּנָה: trust אֻמָנוֹת: trade, artisan אוֹמֶנֶת: midwife, nurse, babysitter...

Article abstract for Parashat Nitzavim: This week's Torah portion uses a word –ויתשם, from the root נתש– used nowhere else in the...

“Enjoy life!”, “Just do it!”, and “Live it up!” are all catch-phrases and slogans of Western culture. That culture calls for people to do...

Parshas וַיֵלֶך The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful רָעָה: evil, bad רוֹעֶה: shepherd מַרְעֶה: pasture תְּרוּעָה: teruah, sound of the...

Parshas נְצָבִים Sweetening the Din עֶרֶב: evening מַעַרַב: west, מַעַרִב: evening prayers עַרָבָה: desert עַרָבוֹת: willow branch עַרַב:...

Article abstract for Parashat Vayelech: There are at least fifteen words for "strength" in Biblical Hebrew, but one of them, the root...

Summary of the essay for P' Haazinu: The word עקש appears for the first time in Scripture in this week's Parashah. Rashi explains the...

Parshas הַאַזִינוּ Do We Hear What’s in the Balance? אָזֶן : ear מֹאזְנַיִם : scales אִזוּן : balance הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה...

Vezot Habracha: Eternal Security The roots שכן and בטח appear together twice in Parashat Vezot Habracha: דב‘ לג:יב – לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר...

Long before the fidget spinner became the world’s favorite pastime, Jewish children played with spinning tops on the holiday of Chanuka....

Chanukahחַנֻכָּה Chinuch and Chanukah, Walking with Hashem חִנוּךְ: beginning חַנוֹךְ: Chanoch חִנוּךְ: education חַנֻכָּה: Chanukah...

In our Parsha[1] we read of a war between the Four Kings and the Five Kings. The former, in the course of winning the battle, take...

Throughout the Yom Kippur services we repeatedly confess our sins and beg for forgiveness. In doing so, we mimic the confessionals of...

My two cents on this terrible pandemic ר”ל. The Gemara in Sanhedrin says אין בן דוד בא אלא בהיסח הדעת. Normally we of course understand...

The Bible uses three different words to mean “crown”: keter, atarah, and nezer. Some explain that the word keter is a general term, which...

The fifth plague that G-d had wrought upon the Egyptians is known as dever. In English this word is commonly translated as “pestilence”,...

The Mishnah teaches that on Rosh Hashana all the inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like the animals of a corral, and G-d passes...