Open Search form

Mordechai Silverstein

Apply for a Blog

Jun 3, 2026, 8:32 PM

You Light Up Our Lives

Almost all of us are familiar with Jews who eschew Judaism’s ritual requirements with the argument that being a good person is sufficient to make one a good Jew. Surely, it is easy to understand the rationale behind fulfilling...

May 28, 2026, 8:55 PM

Becoming One of Us

Rashi’s commentary to the Torah is a virtual treasury of rabbinic thought and method. In his comments on any given verse, one can glimpse the mindset through which the tradition derived Jewish practice from the words of the Torah....

May 19, 2026, 12:09 PM

There is Nothing More Whole Than Being Broken

It is well known that the Aseret HaDibrot—the Ten Commandments—were revealed twice: first before the sin of the egel hazahav (the golden calf), when, upon seeing what was happening in the camp, Moshe cast down the tablets and shattered them;...

May 18, 2026, 8:20 PM

Living By God’s Treasure

Psalm 8 is not only one of the most beautiful of the psalms, but also one of the most enigmatic. At first, it sings of God’s supreme majesty and the lowliness of human beings by comparison. Then it shifts...

May 15, 2026, 5:44 PM

Rallying Around the Flag

Since time immemorial, flags have served as markers of identity, unity, and purpose. At the opening of the second chapter of Bemidbar (Numbers), God commands the children of Israel to organize themselves by tribe around the Ohel Moed (Tent...

May 7, 2026, 9:57 AM

Choosing What’s Right

The prophet Yermiyahu’s (Jeremiah’s) messages oscillate between despair and hope. In this week’s haftarah, he stands unmistakably as the harbinger of impending destruction, striving with all his might to avert it. His task, as he sees it, is to...

May 5, 2026, 6:18 AM

Having the Why to Live

How can a divine Torah speak about slavery and not abolish it? This question has echoed for generations. The modern reader, judging from a moral high ground shaped long after the Torah’s time, expects a clear and immediate prohibition. If...

Apr 29, 2026, 9:37 PM

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

Tucked away in Parshat Emor’s discussion of the biblical festivals, between the mitzvot relating to Pesah and those concerning Shavuot, are two less “glamorous” commandments: one involving the ceremonial offering of an omer of barley, the earliest-ripening grain, on...

Apr 21, 2026, 7:24 AM

Life is a Serious Business

Not infrequently in the Torah, the people are enjoined to observe God’s commandments, often with a promise of reward. One verse, however, stands out for its profound influence on both Jewish behavior and belief throughout the ages: “And you shall...

Apr 14, 2026, 10:30 AM

You are the World

One midrash on the opening verse of Parshat Tazria sees in it an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be human. The parsha begins: The Lord spoke to Moshe, saying: When a woman conceives and bears a male...

Load more

About Me

Mordechai Silverstein is a teacher of Torah who has lived in Jerusalem for over 30 years. He specializes in helping people build personalized Torah study programs.