Eikev – Benching and Kvetching — By Ben
This week’s Torah portion continues Moses’ diatribe to the Jewish people. He rebukes them for the golden calf, he brings up the Meraglim (spies) again, he gives over the blessings […]
Author Archives: eltram
Students, Friends, and Teachers. Who to Fear and Who to Respect. — By Ben
It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Israel for 3 weeks and the first leg of my trip is already over. I’ve been at a yeshiva known as Machon Shlomo […]
3 Weeks, 9 Days, and 1 Hell of a Fast (Devarim) — By Ben
So I’ve been in Israel a little over two weeks now. Due to an unpredictable set of circumstances I’ve decided to study in a Yeshiva for 3 months. The dorms […]
Rashi Says What Now? (Matos) — By Ben
“Says Rashi…” “If you look at the Rashi…” “Rashi comments…” If you’ve attended a Torah class or read any articles about the Parsha or Gemara you’ve probably heard someone reference […]
Balak — Which Way You Wanna Go? — by Ben
This week we have talking donkeys, angles with flaming swords, and a Moabite orgy. But probably the most notable element is Bilaam. If you’re unfamiliar with the parsha, basically the […]
Chukas – Moses Badman? — By Ben
Ohh parhas Chukas and the famous incident with Moses hitting the rock. I wrote about it last year within the context of Moses’s whole life. But I decided to come […]
Korach – The Stick of Truth — By Ben
Parshas Korach has a lot of drama. Needless to say, after last week’s parsha and the Jews being condemned to wander the desert for 40 years, you could see why […]
Shelach – Something to Cry About — By Ben
I got fired yesterday. Okay, not really fired, let go. And I’ll work until the end of next week. The parting was amicable and my boss is fair, generous and we’ll […]
Justified Selfishness — By Ben
Pirkei Avos 1:14 says, [Rabbi Hillel] used to say: If I am not for myself who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? […]
Shavuos – Letting Yourself Ask for Help — By Ben
I’ve worked in restaurants on and off since college. The job can be tremendously stressful, hectic, and in the midst of the dinner rush, can feel like war. Imagine that 3 […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 