In the halakhic discussion of Sefirat HaOmer, there’s a fascinating tension between speech and timing. The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 489:4) rules that if someone asks you, “What day of the Omer is it?” before you’ve counted with a blessing, you should answer, “Yesterday was the Xth day,” rather than say “Today is…” Why? Because saying…

‘On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was…

In recent days, the news of Pope Francis’ passing has stirred grief and reflection in many circles. At the same time, the hesitation of Jewish authorities regarding participation in the funeral services, as they were scheduled on Shabbat, has generated questions, comments, and at times, controversy. It is a discussion that deeply touches the relationship…

A rather humorous Chinese saying goes that the Chinese eat anything with four legs that isn’t a table, and anything with two legs that isn’t a relative. I have seen memes and other posts on the web saying that if we don’t eat our dogs and cats, we shouldn’t consume other animals. That’s quite true.…

Who is God of Judah? “And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned towards a man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah.” (Gen. 38:1) R. Shmuel b. Nachman opened this chapter with the following: It is written, “For I have known the thoughts that I am…

God Has Even More Faith In Us Than We Have In Him! “For God’s portion is His people; Jacob the demesne of His inheritance.”[1] (Deut. 32:9) According to the Izbicy Rebbe, this verse shapes the text of Sidra Haazinu, and Sidra Haazinu shapes the text of the entire Torah.[2]In other words, if you were to…

In the Torah portion Va’etchanan the commandment of tefillin is conveyed in the following manner: “You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes.” Because the verse begins by saying, “You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand,” and only then goes…

Rosh HaShanah is perhaps the holiday in which the universal dimension is most pronounced. It celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the human species. As is well known, the biblical account expresses the act of creation in these words: “Let us make the human…” (Gen. 1:26) This is a complex and controversial verse because…

The final scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is well-known and beautifully crafted. Indiana Jones must cross a chasm to reach the place where the Holy Grail rests—a relic that, among other things, will allow him to save his dying father. The legend states that this is the path of God, and that…

The scene is well known. Avram is invited to count the stars and is told that his descendants will be like them. This analogy is generally understood to refer to their great number: “He took him outside and said, ‘Look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And…