Ki Savo – Joy to the Word
It’s 7:25 am …and I’m standing in the Beis Medrish, eyes closed, having just taken three steps forward. The study hall/shul of the Shapells Darchi Noam Yeshiva is silent. I’m […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Ki Seitzei – Love, Kindness, and Death Sentences — By Ben
We all know the Torah is a book of love, caring, and kindness. And you really feel the love when the Torah commands us to sentence people to death. And […]
Arguments Against Arrogance: Pirkei Avos 2:5 — By Ben
After almost 6 weeks in Jerusalem my time at Machon Shlomo is coming to an end. Yet I’m not heading back to the states just yet. No, just switching yeshivas […]
Re’eh — Lookin’ Good ;) — By Ben
This week’s parsha starts out with the ultimate of ultimatums, will you choose blessing or curse? It’s very simple, just do all the commandments and you’ll get blessings. Easy stuff, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 