The benefits of having good neighbors are well known. A good neighbor will keep an eye on your house when you're away, take in your mail, water your plants, and feed your fish. Good neighbors will watch out for you, greet you on your walk around the block, and join...

In this week's reading, Abraham is called an Ivri, a Hebrew, for the first time. "And it was told to Abraham, the Hebrew... (Genesis 14:13)." What is the meaning of this word Ivri, one of the most common descriptors of the Jews? An Ivri, simply, is "the one on the...

At the end of last week's portion, Bereishis, we were introduced to Noah, the one man who found G-d's favor in the debased generation of the flood. This week the portion opens, "These are the children of Noah" -- but the Torah then elaborates on Noah's personal...

When I finish a book, I most often have little desire to read it again. I even feel somewhat relieved that I've made it through the few hundred pages, even if I enjoyed the journey. It is rare to find a book so rich with ideas or intriguing characters that I might...

The Siddur describes the holiday of Sukkos as "Our time of happiness." After the intense and cleansing High Holy Days, we can now rejoice with our Creator, celebrating our renewed relationship. Also, if we consider the agricultural cycle in Israel (or most anywhere in...

We are now in the middle of the Ten Days of Repentance, culminating with the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah, which just passed, was the Day of Judgment for the new year. Many have asked a simple, yet compelling question: why shouldn't we first have our...