THE LAWS OF kashering are many and confusing, and learned from this week’s parsha. Thanks to Midian, we’re still in exile.

“Master of the Universe, You know very well that our desire is to perform Your will. What prevents us? The ‘yeast in the dough’ (yetzer hara) and the oppression of nations. It should be Your will to save us from them in order to do Your laws with a complete heart.” (Brochos 17a)

EVIL BALAK. RIGHTEOUS Rus. Polar opposites. One tried to destroy the Jewish people, the other joined them. One was the antithesis of Moshiach, and the other was his ancestor. Ironically, the former was the reason for the latter, as the Gemora states: As a reward for the forty-two offerings that Balak, king of Moav, brought,…

THE WINK GIVES it away. Maybe you were supposed to see it, maybe you weren’t. But if it was at someone else while they were telling you something, you have to wonder if they’re pulling your leg.

THE BRAIN IS a most wonderful and awesome creation, capable of more things than we know or use it for. It is one of my greatest fascinations in life, which some have told me in the past is because I was missing mine. They have even credited me with first using artificial intelligence. And those are my close friends.