What follows may be an innovative way in which to teach all about the ta’anis of Asara B’Teves:   The Dream of Asara B’Teves Setting:

The Mishna in Sanhedrin 3:3 lists people invalid to testify due to their occupation. These include: one who plays with dice for money, one who

If my memory serves me correctly, which it generally doesn’t these days, it was about 25 years ago that I typed and emailed a dvar

Our parsha relates that Yaakov’s life span was 147 years. Interestingly, the Daat Zikeinim (Bereishit 47:8) quotes a midrash which teaches that originally Yaakov was

וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת וַיִּקְרָא לִבְנוֹ לְיוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ שִׂים נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי וְעָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת אַל נָא

What is the greatest blessing you can receive? To truly know who you are. In this week’s Torah portion, our forefather Yaakov bids farewell to

In Parshat Vayechi, Yaakov Avinu dies, leaving the brothers and Yosef in Egypt. After Yaakov’s death, the brothers get worried and feel that Yosef will

Professor Aaron Koller of Yeshiva University has written an important discussion of the word מכרתיהם and I would like to share it. It is found

Bittersweet Exile – A Reflection on Galut Many years ago, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat visited Highland Park, and described it as an example of

Asara B’Teves on a Friday. You may have heard that the Chasam Sofer and Avudraham explain that Asara B’Teves takes place on the day it

In Parshat Vayechi, the Torah speaks for the first time of someone becoming sick before they die. The elderly Yaakov falls ill, prompting Yosef to