Torah Studies

Step Up to the Plate

Punching above Your Weight Is Solid Strategy

Does it make sense to pledge beyond your means? While conventional wisdom scoffs at the idea, an obscure detail tucked away in the laws of the metzora sacrifice lends it surprising legitimacy. Discoverer the power that comes with pushing yourself beyond your means and capabilities.

There’s No Such Thing as Middle Ground

The Binary Nature of Good and Bad. You Choose.

We all enjoy downtime, when we can relax and just do our thing. What can be bad about that? In this fundamental discussion about the nature of good and evil, discover an entirely new definition of “good” and “bad”—and the incredible opportunity that comes along with it.

Count Me In!

Just Because You Don’t Have to Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Want To

When given a dispensation, does that mean you should cut and run? While our base instincts may say “yes!”, a small group of Jews clamoring for a second chance to fulfill a mitzvah in the desert teaches us this important lesson: when it comes to our lives, we ought to grab any opportunity we can.

“Tear This Wall Down!” or “Build This Wall!”?

The Only Wall That Lasts Is Not a Wall at All

Mighty empires and institutions have come and gone. From the Roman Empire to the shocking collapses of Enron and Lehman Brothers, we know too well just how fragile even the mightiest things can be. As the arc of history can attest, the timeless traditions of our heritage are the lone indestructible fortress.

Equality vs. Individuality: Are They a Conflict?

If I am I Because You Are Not Me, Then I am Not I and You Are Not You

The people of Sodom famously chopped off the legs of short visitors to fit the standard size bed sold in Macy’s of Sodom. Equality, after all. How do we find the balance to counter the guillotine of equality without falling prey to the morbidity of individualism?

“Seeing Is Believing,” They Said. They Were Wrong.

It’s Time to Take an Honest Look at Our Mistakes

If someone told you they met a ten-foot giant, you probably wouldn’t believe them. But if you actually saw the guy, well, you saw him. End of story. To see is to connect—and that’s the key to a meaningful Judaism, and a lodestar for constant progress: look at the past, connect with it, and take the appropriate lessons to heart.

Bless You!

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Blessing

Judaism bestows great power to the priestly class, enjoining them to bless the people. The eternal words of the Priestly Blessing are uttered at every occasion, and in this class, we discover the power and opportunity that every Jew has to unleash the force of blessing on whomever they so desire. Bless you!

Embrace Your Mistakes

How the Reality of Sin Is All Part of the Master Plan

So you made a mistake. You’re a wretched excuse of a human being, and you should hang your head in shame. Right? Wrong! If G‑d and His providence over the world mean anything, it would quickly become clear that everything—and we mean everything—is all part of the master plan. Now it’s up to you to demonstrate how.

Sometimes the Thought Doesn’t Count

It’s Great to Mean Well, but Action Comes First

What’s better—an ecstatic dance on a Himalayan mountaintop or a regular 7 o’clock morning prayer? Inspired imagination or prudent pragmatism? A lone man gathering sticks on Shabbat in the desert literally gave up his life to answer this pressing question. Discover his answer.

In the Blink of an Eye

Change Can Happen a Lot Quicker Than You Think

You’re stuck in a rut, and the light at the end of the tunnel is increasingly looking like an oncoming train. What to do? How to change? The speedy priests racing about their service in the Temple teach a lesson about our innate ability to turn things around in the blink of an eye. Deep within your soul, the solution is just seconds away.

Say It Soft. Always.

Effective Leadership Is Always Soft-Spoken

Moses was the Jewish nation’s greatest leader. When he was punished for hitting a rock instead of speaking to it, a powerful lesson reverberated throughout the world: Resist the urge to lash out at another, for if you have to take a gamble, err on the side of caution and say it softly. Chances are it’ll only work better.

Surfing Life’s Waves

Lessons from the Moon Prayer

Life is never a level ride. We encounter inspiration and plateaus, feelings of connection and of emptiness. Learn to dance to the rhythm of life and how to get up when you’re down, and discover a destination worth waiting for.