Road to Redemption
The Gemara in Avodah Zara (2a-b) opens with a scene so grand—a story that has not yet occurred but waits just beyond the curtain of redemption.
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Emunah and Hashkafah
Moshiach and Geulah
The coming of Moshiach and the final redemption.
No Promises
The 2000 presidential election was one of the closest contests in U.S. history, ultimately hinging on the results in the state of Florida. In that state, George W.
Tachanun Technicalities
It’s been quipped that if a non-Jew ever grasped the joy a Jew feels upon skipping Tachanun, he’d convert on the spot. While exaggerated, the joke touches on a subtle truth in Jewish life: the unexpected “elation”…
The Butterfly Effect
In 1961, Edward Lorenz used a numerical computer model to rerun a weather prediction. As a shortcut on a number in the sequence, he entered the decimal .506 instead of the full .506127 the computer would hold.
Eliyahu HaNavi Zachur La’Tov
Often, the Gemara faces a halachic question that it can’t resolve. In that situation, the Gemara declares, “Tayku!” The simplest explanation of that word is that the question should stand.
It’s a Miracle
A shepherd deserts his flock for a quick break. While he is gone, a wolf eats one of the sheep. To determine if the shepherd is liable, we evaluate whether the shepherd could have fought off the wolf had he been there.
Takana Considerations
Rebbe Yochanon Ben Zakkai led the Jewish nation through the tumultuous years immediately following the destruction of the Second Beis Hamikdash. His guidance preserved Torah-true Judaism.
Made to Order
In the English language there is an order for descriptive words. Most native English speakers have acquired an innate feel for the right way to express a sentence.
All Roads Lead To . . . Yerushalayim
The Gemara in Avodah Zara (2a–b) relates a fascinating story, albeit one that hasn’t happened yet. It will take place sometime after Mashiach comes.
Who Knows Nine?
The Ancient Greek culture was focused on the human body. Someone remarked that on Chanukah we eat latkes and doughnuts fried in oil to ensure that our bodies do not become worthy of worship!
Not Above The Law
The Gemara has a fascinating discussion about miracles happening to ordinary individuals. A shepherd deserts his flock for a quick break. While he is gone, a wolf eats one of the sheep.
A Matter Of Great Interest
In Pozen, the hometown of the great and revered sage Rabbi Akiva Eiger, zt’l, lived a wealthy Jew. Unfortunately, this Jew had built his fortune largely by lending money to other Jews with interest.
We Need To Start The Fire
The Gemara records a fundamental dispute between Reish Lakish and Rebbe Yochanan regarding damages caused by fire. Is fire to be viewed as a possession that one has a duty to safeguard?
Keep Calm And Chesed On
Due to improprieties committed by the sons of Eli, a Kohein Gadol, Hashem proclaimed a curse on his descendants that they would die young. Unless some special exception was made, the descendants wouldn’t live past 20.
Gemara stories on Moshiach and Geulah
Rome Claims Its Reward at the End of Days
In the future, Hashem offers reward to all who busied themselves with Torah, and Rome claims its markets, bathhouses and gold were all for Israel's learning.
Rabbah bar Bar Chanah and the Fat Geese
Rabbah bar Bar Chanah meets geese so fat their feathers fall out, and Rebbi Elazar says Yisrael will have to give a reckoning for their suffering.
Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Moneylender's Grave
Pozen's burial society demands 2,000 rubles to bury a man who lent on interest. Rabbi Akiva Eiger explains why the steep price is actually fair.
Rabbi Chiya and His Sons Almost Bring Moshiach
Eliyahu tells Rebbe that Rabbi Chiya and his sons could bring Moshiach. Their prayers bring wind and rain, but a fiery bear stops them before “Mechayeh Meisim.”
Eliyahu HaNavi Reveals He Is Not a Kohen
Asked whether he is a kohen, Eliyahu HaNavi says he is from Shevet Binyamin, and explains that the first small loaf he asked the widow for hinted at Moshiach ben Yosef.