I always have trouble this time of year. We’re in the infamous ‘nine days’, Tisha b’Av is around the corner. I know it’s a time of mourning, and as a Jew with a long-eyed view of history, I know there’s plenty to mourn about. That’s not the problem. My temperament’s not the problem either. Melancholia Read more
Torah
Pesach: The Exile of the Soul
Every year, we read the story of the exodus from Egypt in the Pesach Haggada. In the Midrash, it’s written that the Egyptian exile was the hardest period of time that Am Yisrael experienced. The slavery was extremely hard. Writing in Likutey Halachot, Rav Natan of Breslov says that the exile was a galut hanefesh Read more
The Wise Person’s Test
If a person isn’t extremely careful, all his wisdom will simply contribute to his feelings of pride growing to monstrous proportions.
The Big Critic: The Halachot of Book and Restaurant Reviews
In any situation, including writing a book review, where one must protect someone from harm, there are five rules that govern what one may say.
Parshas Yisro: Myself and I
The Ten Commandments famously open with the words, “I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Egypt…” (Ex. 20:2). In this context, the Hebrew word for “I” is anochi. But try using the word anochi to mean yourself in Modern Hebrew, and you will encounter chuckles and guffaws. The word anochi is considered Read more
Parshas Vayishlach: Angels and Agents
A “messenger of G-d” refers to either an angel or a prophet, but what about a “messenger of Jacob”? When Jacob sent a message of peace to his older, belligerent brother Esau (Gen. 32:4), the Torah says that he sent Esau malachim (“messengers”). While the word malach in Hebrew may mean “messenger”, it also means Read more
Translating Torah Classics, Part 2
Translating Torah classics also has a two-fold process. Our job as translators is to ferry over the subject matter, not only from one language to another, but also from one generation to the next.
Parshas Lech Lecha – Exhausted or Just Tired?
Say your prayers, eat your Wheaties, take your vitamins, and you will never go wrong.
Translating Torah Classics, Part 1
The Rishonim likened translating from the source language to the target language as pouring the contents of one vessel into another.
Torah Study, Its Retention and the Yeshiva Student
1) As an American, what does learning Torah do for me? If you toil very much in the Torah’s words, the Holy One, blessed be He will remove the yeitzer hara from you. If you learn Torah when it is difficult for you, your reward is one thousand; when things are going smoothly for you, Read more