We spend seven weeks counting up to Matan Torah, culminating in Shavuos, a holiday celebrating one of the greatest moments in Jewish history. 
Imagine a State of the Union address that – instead of measuring progress relative to the promises made during the most recent election campaign – used the yardstick of the values and goals articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Such an exercise would certainly provide a deeper and broader 
The topic we are going to address is Money and Contemporary Life. I’d like to begin by quoting from Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, 
The first recorded story of abuse of a woman by a man in a position of power is in Parshas Vayishlach when Shechem kidnapped Dina. We see that the #MeToo phenomenon is not a new issue; it goes all the way back to Vayishlach. The bad news is that it’s not just “their” problem. We read about it and respond, “What do you 
Melinda Gates wrote in the Washington Post on August 24, 2017: I spent my career in technology. I wasn’t prepared for its effect on my kids. I spent my career at Microsoft trying to imagine what technology could do, and still I wasn’t prepared for smartphones and social media. Like many parents with children my kids’ age, I 
The Torah presents us with apparently contradictory visions of the Jewish soldier. In considering this contradiction, we can find essential guidance for our own pursuit of greatness. On the one hand, we are taught of the spiritual vulnerability of the Jewish soldier, granting him license to be with a lovely captive and 
Applying the wisdom of Torah to contemporary challenges is never simple; it is however exceptionally challenging when it comes to Jewish foreign affairs. Our Sages taught us that Parshas Vayishlach contains the template for how Jews should conduct themselves with foreign entities, containing as it does the reunion of 
Our children are growing up in a very different world than their parents. They are “digital natives,” born into a world with radically changed norms of communication, study and recreation, where they and their contemporaries are more likely to text than talk, scan than read, tweet than meet. And as is the case with 
Health care decisions have grown increasingly complex with the advancement of medicine, and are influenced by the values of those involved. Halacha has much to say about these issues, and it serves as the single source for Jewish Medical Ethics. As is always the case, significant debate exists amongst Torah \ 
Another week, another tragic terrorist attack. Another disastrous outcome of a conflict between radical Islam and civilization. As we mourn the losses and contemplate the continued carnage resulting from this conflict, we can consider how Torah 
