Chayei Sarah: The commencement of Parshat Chayei Sara provides the sad details of the burial arrangements for Sara carried out by Avraham. Presenting himself before the Bnei Cheit, the children of Cheit and inhabitants of Canaan, Abraham introduced himself by saying (Bereishit 23:4), āGer vetoshav anochi imachem,ā ā āI am …
Vayeira: Being kind is not good enough. One of the greatest examples of altruism within the whole of Tanach is presented to us at the beginning of Parshat Vayeira. Avraham, who had just had his circumcision, was sitting in pain outside his tent in the heat of the day, looking …
Lech Lecha: Jewish history in a nutshell. This is what is presented to us at the commencement of Parshat Lech Lecha (Bereishit 12:3), when Hashem gives seven blessings to Avraham, the founder of our faith. Two of those blessings are: āUmekalellecha aāor,ā ā Hashem says, āI will curse those who …
Noach: Is it possible that Noah bore some responsibility for the flood? Such a seemingly preposterous suggestion arises out of the haftarah for Parshat Noach, Isaiah 54. There is a direct link between verse 9 of the haftarah and the parsha. There, the prophet refers to the flood and reassuringly tells us …
Misrepresenting the word of God can lead to tragedy. We learn this from Parshat Bereishit. Everyone is familiar with the instruction given by Hashem to Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. When the serpent approached Eve and tried to convince her to eat of the fruit, she …
Shemini Atzeret: During the coronavirus pandemic, some of us have been missing conclusions. Due to restrictions for example, some graduation ceremonies have not taken place. School years have ended without an opportunity for pupils to say goodbye to each other, and people have left a job without a farewell. This …
Succot – It is possible to be fast asleep with your eyes wide open. This is how the Chatam Sofer explains a fascinating passage in the Gemara, Masechet Succah 13. There a description is given of the Simchat Beit Hashoeiva, the celebration of the ceremony of the drawing of water which …
Yom Kippur message: How can we rejoice at the very moment when our fate is in the balance? This is exactly what happens on Yom Kippur. At the very time when, on this great Day of Judgment, Hashem is sealing our fate for the coming year, we have simcha! …
In 1968, social psychologists Bibb LatanĆ© and John Darley conducted a remarkable study, known as the Smoky Room Experiment. Subjects were placed alone in a room and asked to complete a task. While they were doing so, smoke began to fill the room from a nearby air vent. Unsurprisingly, the …
