Mendel Kaplan

Each class examines a verse or verses from the weekly Torah portion and shows how to understand the simple meaning of the text according to the explanations of the foremost Biblical commentaries of all time.

Understand the meaning and the structure of the Rosh Hashanah prayer services and "why we do what we do."

The Torah uses the metaphor that the Jewish people left Egypt "on eagles' wings" to emphasize the speed in which G-d took them out of Egypt. How important is a sense of urgency in our service of G-d? Guest Expert: Rabbi Mendel Kaplan. (From ...

King Solomon says that a righteous person will "fall seven times and get back up." Why must we suffer a setback before we forge ahead? Guest Expert: Rabbi Mendel Kaplan. (From "Messages" -- Season 4, Episode 5)

Completing the daily study of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah and starting again, Rabbi Kaplan reads the final law of Maimonides' 14-volume legal code, the first law, and then explains the connection between them (3/30/2011).

We learn from our father Jacob an important lesson in when and how to forgo a personal religious stringency in the face of a greater obligation.

Emulating our forefather Isaac's financial success and how he apportioned his wealth to tzedakah—charity.

Abraham’s response to the loss of his wife, Sarah, teaches us how to properly honor those who have passed on.

G‑d’s visit to Abraham following his circumcision teaches us some important guidelines in how to properly perform the mitzvah of bikkur cholim—visiting the sick.

How, when and if to speak up for what’s right, when the people who are acting improperly are your own family members.