Last week we learned that Avraham and Lot had separated. Lot moved to the fertile land surrounding the city of S'dom, yet he retained some of the traits of his holy and generous uncle. So when two disguised angels came to the gates of the city, he rose to greet them...

In the Torah, human life is of infinite value. Every person around us is of infinite value, and deserving of respect. And that even includes the one in the mirror.

With an insight that my friend Rabbi Leonard Oberstein called prescient, the very first comment of Rashi on the Torah quotes a Medrash: Rebbe Yitzchok says: He did not need to begin the Torah [here,] but from 'this month will be for you the first of months' [Exodus...

  When a computer device of some kind isn’t operating correctly, the first question any technician will ask is, “have you tried rebooting?” The option may be called “Restart,” but it means the same thing: clean out apps that are running, wipe the memory...

In an ideal world, our leaders would be qualified, competent, and benevolent. If we could find such a person, we certainly would want him or her to rule for life, providing for our common needs, protecting us from danger, and helping us to flourish. Now imagine living...