Noach, and the Discovery of Mortality
PREDILUVIAN THOUGHTS
What caused the universal flood? A meteorite? A climate change event? The Tora is not an ordinary book: it is a Divine book....
BERESHIT: Dinosaurs in the Bible
BACK TO THE BEGINNING
This year, Parashat Bereshit, Genesis, which contains the account of the creation of the world, left us with only one day...
FIRST TRIAL. Recognizing God’s Voice
THE CONTEXT OF ISAAC’S SACRIFICE
Our rabbis mentioned that when we listen to the Shofar we should remember the sacrifice of Isaac, that is, the last...
SUKKOT 5785 SPEECH: Shemuel Yosef and Shimon Bar Kochba
This is the story of two historical documents: a letter written 1,900 years ago and a video of a phone conversation I received a...
Sukkot in the Bet haMiqdash
Sukkot's days were celebrated with extraordinary joy in the Bet haMiqdash (Temple of Jerusalem). In addition to the biblical commandment of holding the four...
Sukkot In A Mexican Prison
Throughout history, we Jews overcame all obstacles to be able to observe the Mitsva of Sukka. One of the most striking examples of the...
Eruv Tavshilin for Shemini Atzeret 5785 (Cooking in Yom Tov for Shabbat)
Understanding the Concept of Eruv
It is permitted to cook on a Jewish holiday (Yom Tov), as we learn from Exodus 12:16: "...No work shall...
NEILA 5785 SPEECH: The Final Verdict
It is the end of Yom Kippur, the moment of the Neila prayer. In the heavens, the Trial is about to begin. The Almighty...
Fasting, not fasting, and how to eat when you cannot fast
This coming Wednesday, October 1st right before sunset, we will begin the observance of Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement.
There are five...
A Viduy (Confession Prayer) For Our Times
One of the most important Mitsvot of Yom Kippur is the recitation of the Viduy. Viduy means “confession,” and it is the central step...
