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How Is Divorce Perceived in the Torah?
One thing that sets Judaism apart from many other religions and traditions is the centrality of marriage. There isn’t a notion that people who are married, raise children, and are concerned with creating a home are less focused on spirituality than those who live celibate lives. In fact, marriage is considered a holy union that…
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Explaining The Prohibition of Kol Isha
In Shir Hashirim, the allegorical love song between Hashem and His chosen people, Shlomo Hamelech praises the beauty of the woman’s voice: …Ki koleich arev – because your voice is sweet. It is from these words that the Gemara learns the dictum that kol b’isha ervah, a principle which often rings offensive to the modern…
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Is the “Pursuit of Happiness” a Jewish Concept?
Our discussion will start by exploring the first chapter of Mesillat Yesharim…
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Mashpia vs Mekabel: Exploring the Feminine Virtue of Receiving
In a world of givers and takers, very few people want to be perceived as takers. We’re taught from childhood that “sharing is caring” and that the best virtue we can nurture is to be a kind, giving person. The truth, however, is a bit more complex. The reality is that the world needs both;…
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Shatnez: The Balance between Chesed and Gevurah
The work of balancing and refining is internal, not external…
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A Married Woman Taking On Her Husband’s Customs
The Jewish home and family is a central vehicle for the transmission of a Jewish way of life. Along with the laws that we teach our children, we also transmit many minhagim, or customs. The concept of minhag is a vast one with a wide spectrum of authority and functions, some with even halachic status,…
