Bo – A Plague of Darkness
The ninth plague to ravage Egypt was חֽשֶׁךְ. Darkness. Now we tend to think of darkness as the absence of light, the way cold is the absence of heat. But if you […]
Category Archives: Exodus/Shemos
Mercy Vs Justice : Names of God — Va’eira — By Ben
I had an English teacher in 9th grade who delighted in making fun of us in front of the whole class. I remember one time he knocked Yuriy Teslyar’s notebook […]
The Luxury of Pessimism – Shemos — By Ben
Imagine you go to the grocery store to pick up a bottle of wine for Shabbos dinner. You’re going to run in, grab the wine, and pay for it. […]
An Eye for an Eye and a $100,000 Ticket For Speeding — By Ben
In Finland, it’s possible to get a speeding ticket for hundreds of thousands of dollars… if you’re rich. That’s because in most Scandinavian countries, a person’s income is factored into the […]
Yisro – More than Hearing
This week’s parsha may be the most important portion in the Torah. Not only are the 10 Commandments given, but God Himself speaks to the Jewish people. It is a revelation […]
A Leader and One Who Leads — By Ben
We’ve all had “test of faith” moments (or in Jew-speak test of emmunah.) And in this week’s parsha, Beshalach, the Jews have a pretty daunting one. Just after leaving Egypt, God instructs Moses […]
Rosh Chodesh and New Beginnings — By Ben
Parshas Bo has a ton going on. It finishes up the plagues (most notably the death of the first born), the Jews are given their freedom finally becoming a nation, […]
Va’eira – Denial isn’t Just a River in Egypt
In this week’s parsha, Va’eira, there is the big showdown between Moses and Pharaoh. God sends Moses to plead with Pharaoh for the Jewish people’s freedom and every time Pharaoh […]
Shemos – Five Times No
If ever there is an iconic image from the Torah recognized by the religious and the secular world alike, it would probably be Moses and the burning bush. Throughout the Torah, […]
Tetzaveh – The Most Important verse in Torah
There is a Midrash which asks the question “What is the most important verse in all of Torah?” And the discussion comes up with three answers. Shema Yisroel, Hashem Elokeinu, […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 