Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

"And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you." (Genesis 12:3) Read more...

Surely one of the most well known of the Torah’s stories involves Noah and the flood. A righteous man living in a lawless and violent age, Noah is commanded to build an ark and to gather representatives of all the species of animals into the ark so they can survive a flood that will wipe out errant humanity and allow mankind to begin anew through Noah. As the rain waters fall and the floodwaters storm, Noah, his family, and his herds are safe inside. Read more...

"In the beginning God created heaven and earth" (Breishit/Genesis 1:1) This verse seems to be one of the hardest verses of the Torah to comprehend. Every word begs for multiple questions and attempts of interpretation. For example: Breishit (in the beginning) - If there is a beginning, what was before hand? The Talmud will address this in one manner in P'sachim 54, when highlighting those things that existed before creation. Read more...

Coming off of Yom Kippur, I find myself in a confessing mood. So here goes. I watch a lot of television - sometimes on an actual TV set, mostly on my computer. Do I watch too much TV? Well, compared to what? I watch less than those who watch more than me-but they are all lazy, shiftless, unambitious boors-and more than those who watch less than me-but they all have an ascetic streak and want you to be vegetarian and do yoga. In any event it seems that I am not alone in this vice. Read more...

As Americans, our Declaration of Independence tells us that we have the unalienable rights to 'life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." Self-evident symbols that we are all created equally, these endowments belong to each one of us, and become our pursuit should we opt to seek them. Paradoxically, as Jews approaching the holiday of Sukkot, happiness is not only a right, but a responsibility - or so says the Torah. Read more...