The Month of Redemption

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2023 | Bo, Nisan

By Chaim Barzel “God said to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.” (Exodus 12:1-2) This first month of the Hebrew calendar is now known as Nisan...

The Heart of the Matter: Free Will and the Story of Pharaoh

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2023 | Va'eira

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz People are complicated but God has us figured out, as the prophet Jeremiah said: Most devious is the heart; It is perverse—who can fathom it? I Hashem probe the heart, Search the mind— To repay every man according to his ways, With the proper...

Are Science and Fear of God Compatible?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 15, 2023 | Va'eira, Proverbs

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz “Fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and understanding.” There are several sources for this piece of wisdom. King Solomon, the wisest of the wise, said it in Proverb (1:7). Solomon clearly learned this important maxim from...

What does the Torah say about Abortion?

by Tuly | f 28, 2022 | Mishpatim

Abortion is a very serious issue in today’s society, with more unborn children being terminated every year than any other cause of death. Judaism goes far to protect the life of an unborn child and even allows for the violation of the Sabbath to save the life of...

Matzah: Bread of Freedom or Bread of Affliction?

by Tuly | f 7, 2022 | Bo

In preparation for the final devastating plague, the Hebrews prepared the Passover lamb. The offering, whose blood, painted on their doorposts, would protect them from the Angel of Death and whose meat would be eaten as the Passover offering consumed as the central...

The Sin of the Golden Calf

by Ahuva Balofsky (Moderator) | f 1, 2021 | Bible Study, Ki Tisa

This section begins with God giving Moses the two tablets of stone upon which He has written with His own hand. After an extended break, the narrative returns to the people, awaiting Moses at the base of the mountain. They notice that Moses is late in returning, and...