The Words Are The Things
In Hebrew, the Book of Deuteronomy is known as Sefer D’varim. Its name is derived from the fact that the Hebrew word d’varim is the first noun that appears in the book, which begins with…
The Great Disputation
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban/Nachmanides c. 1194-1270) was one of the great personages of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. He authored commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud and was…
Man and Woman
G-d created the Adam in His own image, in the image of G-d He created him, male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27). A critical word in most discussions of gender in the Torah is…
Today I Am A Man, Sort Of
In today’s day and age, it is difficult to fathom how the rabbis could deem a twelve or thirteen year old child even remotely mature enough to be considered an adult. In truth, however,…
Will I Forgive You for What!?
An ancient Jewish proverb declares: “Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands.” Truth is, people do the most damage to each other with their mouths. Things done with our hands, such as…
Shemot 5763-2002
"The Making of a Concerned Jewish Leader" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The story of Joseph has come to a conclusion, and with the arrival of the children of Jacob in Egypt, G-d's…
Israeli-German Relations
On May 13, 1965, Israel officially established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of (West) Germany (FRG). This event is quite notable, since Israel was established in the…
Watch Your Language
Once upon a time in American culture, defiant children who uttered certain improper words would have their mouths washed out with soap. Today, profanities litter the world of common…
For The Sins We Committed
One of the main steps in the process of teshuva (repentance) is for a person to confess their sins and verbalize their errors. In so doing, a person admits committing a sin, not to…
Territorial Strife
The sages wisely noted in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 4:1) that a truly wealthy person is one who is happy with his/her lot. Alas, dissatisfaction, and the sense of being entitled…