International Trade Done with a Kite Parshas Behar Bechukosai 5785

Trade between countries is a good thing. It enables people in Canada to have freshly squeezed orange juice at their breakfast table, and people in Brazil to have maple syrup at theirs. It has created tens of thousands of jobs in Israel, as Intel Israel produces billions of computer chips for export, and Google Israel

The Power of You: The True Soruce of Self-Esteem

We live in an age obsessed with self-esteem. Life coaches, therapists, and social media personalities all assure us that we are worthy, that we matter, that we must love ourselves. Almost no one stops to ask the most important question: according to what? On what basis does any human being have real, objective value? Consider

All that Glitters Parshas Emor 5786

When you think of laundry, you probably think of piles of dirty clothing, sitting at the bottom of the laundry chute, waiting to be sorted into darks, lights, and whites. But to a very specific subset of human beings, laundering has a lot more to do with mountains of cash than t-shirts, shorts, and socks.

Parshas Emor 5786

Counting the Omer There is a mitzvah mentioned in this week’s Torah portion, that is relevant to our current time period; the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuos. It is known as Sefiras Ha’omer, the counting of the Omer. The verses read as follows: Leviticus 23:15-17 You shall count for yourselves- from the

Show Me Your Best Awkward Silence Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim 5786

Natural resources are a hot topic right now, as the earth continues to fill with more people but not more resources. In the era of technological leaps and blindingly fast innovation, humans also seek more resources than ever before. In the past, cobalt was used for nothing other than a deep rich blue dye. Now

Parshas Acharei Mos and Kedoshim 5786

Negative Surroundings ‘Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the practices of the land of Canaan to which I bring you…’ (Vayikra 18:3) Before detailing the list of forbidden relationships the Torah instructs us: ‘Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt