The Hero
Abraham in his life time endured ten great challenges. He withstood them all. (Pirkei Avos 5) Abraham was not the first human being to be tested by G-d. Adam and Eve were also tested; but they were not able to stand up to God’s test. The generations following Adam...
Tradition vs. Creativity
Adam and Eve had three sons. The first two were the famous Cain and Abel. The third is introduced in the following manner. "When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son in his likeness after his image [bid'muso k'tsalmo], and named him Seth" (Gen. 5:3). Similar...
From Tallis to Timberlands
There is an old story about a man who attended Daf Yomi and knew just how to build a sukkah. He bought his lumber, marked off the shiurim, measured for lavud, made his plumb line. He followed the Gemara exactly and was very proud of his perfect sukkah. With a big...