Our Fathers and Us: Rabbi Yoad Cohen’s Project on Pirkei Avot

Rabbi Yoad Cohen’s path to publishing his first book was filled with perseverance, inspiration, and deep faith. What began as small study sessions among friends eventually grew into a full Torah project, and now into a published sefer (Torah book) filled with commentaries, midrashim (rabbinic teachings), parables, and stories of tzaddikim (righteous individuals). The fruit of his efforts is Our Fathers and Us, a commentary on the first three chapters of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers), with a second volume already on its way.

Rabbi Cohen faced many challenges on the way to this achievement. He started by gathering friends and students to study Pirkei Avot together. As their sessions grew, so did the inspiration. He began collecting insights, Torah sources, and stories, carefully compiling them into booklets for others to learn from. With the encouragement of respected rabbis, Rabbi Cohen then took on the task of refining and expanding this material into a comprehensive work.

“What motivates someone to dedicate four full years to a single Torah project?” Rabbi Cohen reflects. “At the beginning, it felt impossible. But once I got into it, I clearly felt Hashem guiding me, holding my hand. Without that support from Heaven, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

It all began with a recommendation to read Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s commentary on Pirkei Avot. “Someone at the yeshiva suggested I buy it, and I did,” Rabbi Cohen recalls. “I started learning it once a week with a few friends, and slowly we noticed more and more students joining us. I started summarizing ideas on a friend’s computer, and over time we had so much material that we decided to print small booklets.”

He wrote an additional sixty pages and completed the first chapter. They printed forty copies of the booklet, and within a month, all the copies were gone, snapped up by friends, yeshiva students, workplaces, and neighbors. Word spread, and Rabbi Cohen began giving public Torah talks while continuing work on the second chapter.

“The writing process took so much out of me, more than I ever thought I had,” he says. “It pushed me to grow, to examine my own spiritual goals. It didn’t come from the front door, so to speak, it wasn’t what I originally planned to do but it built me up in a deep way.”

Once he made the decision to publish a full book, Rabbi Cohen turned to leading Torah scholars for their blessings. With their support headed by Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, he moved forward. Every page was carefully reviewed for accuracy and clarity.

“After the book was printed,” Rabbi Cohen says, “so many people told me it touched them deeply. That’s what keeps me going. I’ve even been approached by major publishers who want to work with me on future projects.”

Were there moments when he wanted to give up?

“Of course. There were times when I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. But when you have a goal especially one that helps strengthen the Jewish people there’s no time for that. Every warm comment, every thank-you from someone who was inspired by the book, gave me the strength to keep going.”

Who is the book for?

“That’s one of the things I’m proudest of,” he says. “We made sure it’s accessible to everyone, young or old, beginner or advanced. It includes Gemara, teachings from our Sages, and stories of tzaddikim. There’s depth and wisdom, but also warmth and inspiration. I believe that what unites us is our shared spiritual heritage, our Avot, our forefathers. Even when we come from different backgrounds or traditions, we’re still one family. This book reflects that.”

Our Fathers and Us is rare in both content and structure. Each Mishnah is broken into sections, each section is explained using sources from across Torah literature, and it’s all presented in a clear and welcoming way. The book carries the endorsements of respected Torah figures, including Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, his son Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef shlit"a, and others.

Through this heartfelt labor of love, Rabbi Yoad Cohen has not only deepened his own connection to Torah, he’s opened a door for others to walk through with him.