The Laban Brand of Hate
What is the connection of "Arami Oved Avi" — "An Aramean destroyed my father" — to the Haggadah? The Haggadah says that "Pharaoh decreed only against the males, but Laban tried to uproot everything." Again, why connect the two? The goal of the Haggadah is to tell...
No Angels on Earth
In this week's reading, we begin the third of the 5 Books of Moses, Vayikra, or Leviticus. It was undoubtedly dubbed "Leviticus" because much of it concerns the Temple services, done by the Kohanim, the Priests, descendents of Aharon HaKohen, of the tribe of Levi....
Carrying Our Weight
In this week's reading, we learn about the episode of the Golden Calf. Moshe took a day too long to come back down off the mountain, and many assumed that he must have died, that he was never returning to earth. And so they made a new leader for themselves, and some...
Celebrating the Miracle of Jewish Survival
Jewish survival is perhaps the greatest miracle of all Jewish history. It defies clear historical patterns. Whenever people move to different countries, they gradually integrate, following the beliefs and ideals of the local population. Yet the Jews were different, stubbornly so.
Cultivating a Generous Heart
Have you heard "Mitzvah" translated as a "good deed?" That's incorrect, and this week's reading proves it: not every good deed is a Mitzvah! A Mitzvah is something we are Commanded to do, from "Tzivui," a command. When it comes to the donations for building the...
Why So Much Hate?
Why are Jews hated? It comes from this week's reading. "Why is it called Mount Sinai? It is the mountain where hatred [Sinah] descended upon the nations of the world" [Shabbos 99a]. The Medrash says that G-d offered the Torah to various other nations of that time, but...
A Maidservant by the Sea
Even after all of the miracles that happened on behalf of the Jews while they were still in Egypt, what happened at the crossing of the sea was that much greater. In the Passover Haggadah, we compare the plagues which afflicted the Egyptians in Egypt to what happened...
An Appropriate Answer
Moshe and Aharon go to confront Pharoah and demand that he release the Jews. Pharoah demands a sign, and, as Commanded, Aharon throws his staff on the ground in front of Pharoah , where it turns into a snake. Pharoah calls in his magicians, and lo and behold, they do...
The Value of a Smile
Before his passing, Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, and then his own. Our Sages explain to us that each blessing is filled with prophetic insight, words which each brother in particular, the brothers overall, and all of their descendents, needed to hear. And when Yaakov...
There’s No (Real) Excuse
Special Opportunity: we have an extension on the Early Bird offer in this year's raffle! You must get your entry in by January 10, at which point a lucky winner will receive two tickets to Israel (or $2500 Cash), and still be in the running for the $100,000 grand...
Points of Light
The holiday of Chanukah is often misunderstood. People imagine that it was a fight of military prowess and for political liberty. Yet neither of these is true. Chanukah, rather, tells us that we can accomplish miracles when we truly dedicate ourselves to G-d.
The Recurring Lies of Laban
The story of Laban and Jacob is critical to our understanding of anti-Semitism, the pernicious hatred of Jews. We know this from the Passover Haggadah -- we learn briefly about Pharoah, read that this hatred happens in every generation, and then continue, "go and...
