Pesach: The famous Maggid, Rabbi Shalom Schwadron, would often relate the following story. For a period of time, Rav Shalom’s grandson was living with him, and this grandson would often go to the Kotel on Shabbat afternoon, to learn and pray, returning home after Shabbat. On one particular Motzei Shabbat, the grandson turned up with […]

Parshat Vayikra: One of the most painful stories in our long and difficult history is the saga of Yeravam ben Nevat and the split of the ten tribes away from Yehuda and Binyamin. Although the revolt was predicted and supported by the holy prophet Achiya due to the idolatry that had festered under King Solomon’s

Parshat Pekudei: Rabbi Paysach Krohn relates the following story in his book ‘In The Footsteps of the Maggid’: It seems that when Rabbi Yisrael (Lipkin) Salanter (1809-1883), the father of the Mussar (ethical improvement) Movement passed away, he was just about penniless. He left very few, if any, material possessions to his surviving descendants. There

Parshat Vayakhel: At the beginning of this week’s Parsha the verse tells us, ‘You may not burn a fire in all your dwelling places/communities on Shabbat.’ While this verse is understood literally as a fundamental law of Shabbat, the great Spanish Rabbi, philosopher and kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Arama (c. 1420 – 1494, known more commonly

Parshat Tetzaveh: There is a section of the Malbim’s commentary on this week’s Parsha that gives an insight as to what leadership and governance should look like for the Jewish people. Regarding the golden Cherubim that were formed on the cover of the Ark, he writes, “This taught the people about leadership. We know that

Parshat Mishpatim: In this week’s Parsha we are instructed to ‘stay far away from falsehood’. Apart from its obvious meaning of ‘don’t lie’, the Midrash explains that this means we are supposed to distance ourselves from twisted ideologies. In the past many such distortions were found in the realms of idolatry. Nowadays, when paganism is

Parshat Yitro: Synesthesia is a condition where the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia may experience colors when listening to music, see shapes when smelling certain scents, or perceive tastes when looking at words. It is estimated that about 4%

Parshat Shemot: I want to share a beautiful idea from Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook that appears in Ein Ayah, his commentary on Aggadic ideas of the Talmud. We are told that Moshe was instructed at the burning bush to go to Egypt and speak first to the Israelites and then go together with the Elders to