As a young child in cheder, the Rogatchover Gaon would sometimes leave his classroom and climb high into the branches of a tree in the yard. What could have been mistaken for mischief was, in fact, little Yosef’s way of finding the quiet space he needed to concentrate. His teacher, an educator in the truest sense understood this and rather than scolding him, chose to meet him where he was. At times, he even climbed the tree...

The fifth section of Sefer Devarim opens with Moshe instructing the Jewish people to appoint judges, shoftim, to try cases and uphold the law.

The parasha continues with Moshe’s instructions regarding other leaders of the Jewish people, including kings, priests, and prophets. Since all four types of leaders are discussed within the same parasha, yet the parasha is called Shoftim, it follows that the Torah considers the judge to be the central prototype of Jewish leadership.

This is because the role of the judge is to ensure…

A monkey, a penguin, an elephant, a fish in a bowl, a seal, and a dog all stand in a line before a man seated at a desk. Behind them is a large tree. “For a fair selection,” the man announces, “everybody has to take the same exam. Please climb that tree.” This well-known image illustrates a powerful truth. The absurdity is clear, how can we expect…

In this week’s parsha, we learn that Hashem instructed the Jewish people to bring gifts for the construction of the Mishkan, and that every person had a role to play: "Let them make for Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them". The contributions varied, from the skilled craftsmen who worked with gold, silver, and precious stones, to the simple gifts of fabric or wool brought by those with more limited resources. It wasn’t the size or the value of…