Parasha of the Month
This Shabbat is Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of “The Month.” The Torah portion that is read as the Maftir (additional reading) after the conclusion of the reading of the…
The Tribe of Reuben
As the forefathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, the lives and personalities of each of the sons of Jacob impacted on the history and behavior of the tribe members that descended from…
Favoritism
“A person should never discriminate among his children even to the extent of a thread [garment] weighing only two weight-measures of silk, similar to that which Jacob gave to Joseph but…
Joseph, Son of Jacob
The story of Jacob’s eleventh son is a tale of epic proportion. The firstborn of Rachel, Joseph was his father’s favorite child, and Jacob never hesitated to display his feelings of…
Parasha of the Month
This Shabbat is Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of “The Month.” The Torah portion that is read as the Maftir (additional reading) after the conclusion of the reading of the…
The Bond of Brothers
Caring for the psychological well-being of children (and adults) is of great concern to modern society. Of course, parents have always wanted to shield their children from pain, but, for…
The First Jewish Lawyer
The study of law appears to attract a disproportionate number of Jews, perhaps because expounding arguments, pro and con, is one of the great pleasures of Talmudic discourse. In fact, one…
For The Dogs
The domestication of dogs is as old as...well, actually, there are varying scientific opinions. The remains of what seem to be domesticated dogs appear among the fossilized remains of the…
Shtreimels and Spodiks
One of the most distinctive pieces of clothing in the diverse world of Jewish life is the shtreimel, the round fur hat worn by Chassidic men. In the modern world, where the vast majority…
Parasha of the Month
This Shabbat is Shabbat Parashat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of “The Month.” The Torah portion that is read as the Maftir (additional reading) after the conclusion of the reading of the…