Yisro — Iron and Irony

I’ve long fixated on a phrase Yisro uses. When he rejoins Moshe and joins Klal Yisrael, he declares why, although he had been a guru in countless cults, he came to the conclusion that...

Bishalach – The Nation Newborn

I’ve always found it delightful that the term we use for when the amniotic sac ruptures, releasing the fluid within and beginning the birth process, is “breaking of the waters.” Because the birth of...

Parshas Bo – The Sound of Silence

The dogs in Egypt were still as they watched the Jewish people leave the land (Shemos, 11:7). The Midrash contends that, in keeping with the concept that “Hashem does not withhold reward from any...

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Conversion Conundrums Rabbi Michael J. Broyde Thank you to Rabbi Gordimer for his thoughtful article “Conversion Subversion.” While there is much of value to ponder in it, it is his closing statement that deserves...

Shemos – Nameless

While parshas Shemos (“Names”) does begin with names, those of the shevatim, and introduces the naming of Moshe, it is ironic that, when the parsha’s narrative begins, anonymity seems the rule. “A man went...

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Conversion Subversion

Geirus – conversion to Judaism – is one of the weightiest institutions there can be. Geirus impacts not only the personal halachic status of those who undergo it, but the status (and marriageability) of...

Vayechi – People Can Be Mere Stones

It’s easy to resent being mistreated. It’s also misguided to be resentful. Yosef reassures his brothers that he harbors no ill will for their having plotted against him. “Although you intended me harm, Elokim...

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Guest Podcast

Living in Israel as an Anglo-charedi has been a dilemma for many. On the one hand, we can understand the need to preserve halachic standards, and the history of broken commitments by the government....

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