Suppose the “masses” are slacking off, and you now have the opportunity to distinguish yourself and shine. Would you do it? From a glaring narrative hole in the parshah, we learn that a true leader would never do that. His or her fate is always with the people.

A tribal prince offered a sacrifice millennia ago on Shabbat, and we’re mining the lesson ever since. It’s time to give yourself permission to feel important and significant. Your every action matters—and cosmically so.

Class date: May 31. 2023

When G-d gave the Torah, He nominated every Jew as a king. The original Chasidic master, the Baal Shem Tov, provides a blueprint for a Jewish attitude that sees a world not in opposition, but rather as a loyal subject to her king, G-d, and His Torah.

Class date: May 24, 2023

The “self-made man” is one sacred cow long drilled into our collective psyche. A curious omission of a key family member on an important list of relatives in the Torah leads to an enlightening and honest conclusion: you can’t mentor yourself.

Class Date: May 10, 2023

“Daven,” a mysterious word with uncertain origins, is one of those glorious terms that convey the heart of Jewish prayer. More than just a chance to ask G-d for stuff, or a stuffy experience in a hard-backed pew, the Jewish conception of prayer is that it is a heartfelt and spiritually exhilarating opportunity to connect with G-d.

It’s a common mistake: parents don’t really take their children seriously, and one day, boom!: they’re all grown up. Understanding just how developed children are at already very young ages is a clarion call for parents to get serious about their education.

Class date: April 26, 2023

When two Torah portions both seem to be misnamed, you can bet something deeper is at play. Indeed, this double anomaly teaches us an important lesson about healing and rebirth: the process begins a lot earlier than you might imagine.

When Loyalty Is as Endearing as Love

Is trudging through a relationship on brute commitment alone a good thing or bad thing? Well, it depends how you look at it. A detailed analysis of the leavening qualities inherent in the Passover matzah reveals that sometimes, loyalty and commitment are exactly the type of love we could all use.

Certain Mistakes Happen to Certain People

What do our mistakes say about us? Is “It was just a one-time mistake” an acceptable defense? Discover the lesson taught by an errant leader in Temple times: Moral lapses are not just one-off events to be ignored because they go unpunished. Instead, reflect on what your mistakes mean about your life at large.

Is Religious Lifestyle Compatible with Creative Self-Expression?