Humanism, culture, and character development. All of these are valuable, even indispensable, but only as means to Matan Torah. First one must be a mensch, but menshlachkeit within itself rings hollow. Only Torah- our connection the Divine- can infuses meaning to our existence.

This shiur will develop the metaphor of marriage between the Jewish people and Torah. Just like in human relationship, this marriage is based not only on passion and love, but on loyalty and trust as well. We are ‘’good listeners’’ who hear want the Torah wants, and remain fully committed to her interests.

In this shiur we will trace the key to self-liberation– a holy ‘‘chutzpah’’ and unwillingness to accept the dreary status quo.

The loving exchange between parents and children at the Seder by extension informs our conception of Hashem as our Father in Heaven. This awareness turns the whole notion of authority figures on its head; the image of a caring parent supplants the tyrannical model of authority exuded by Pharaoh in Mitzrayim.

We human beings crave the moral clarity of good vs. evil, nice vs. naughty, and friend vs. foe. However, most of life is too complicated to be defined by neat characterizations and cubby-holing. How do we reconcile our need for certitude with the shades of gray which color our realty? This conundrum goes to the […]

Frivolity, gaiety, and laughter. These traits are not generally associated with Yiddishkeit, yet they so characterize the Purim season. A deeper understanding of what laughter is all about will shed light not only on this period, but on why the year-round psyche of a Jew and why he never despairs.