Keith Siegel's request for his first Shabbat at home tells us something about the Jewish people and continuity.
We begin our Seder service with a modest invitation: “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt; all who are hungry - let them come and eat!." Why so meager?
The joy at the prospect of the seder, at noting the times below, and at keeping the holiday’s mitzvot is accompanied by prayers for the safety of our IDF soldiers fighting at various battle fronts for our safety and security.
Is the Pesach model of redemption rooted in passivity still the paradigm? The haftarah provides the answer.
The Seder can be seen as moving through a complete arc: identify the pain, share the story, embrace the journey, and let go into faith.
" Thus said the Holy One to Israel: My children, do I lack anything? What do I seek from you? I seek only that you love one another, and honor one another..."
Yosef’s coat represented separation. The bundle of hyssop represents humility and unity.
What is it about Pesach that makes it so special? It brings out so much good in people!
Read how the scientific and the spiritual, the equation and the symbol, converge perfectly in a single drop of water.
The Haftorah reminds us that the miracles of the past were only the beginning. What comes next is our responsibility.
Remember the miiracle in the days of King Hezekiah on Pesach and the joy it engendered.
Part I: Words of faith for soldiers fighting for our people. Part II: Halakhot with additions for soldiers at the front
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The altar and its fire offer not only a model of ritual practice, but also a framework for thinking about the inner life, the offerings a method for transformation.
People in pain are not first asking to be rescued. They are asking not to feel alone. And God does not stand outside suffering.
Two brothers, one the galut and the other in Israel - and two very different seders.
Cleaning the kitchen for Pesach (Passover) should be done more carefully than cleaning the house, to ensure that not even a small crumb of chametz (leavened food) remains. Added links: OU guides to Passover and medications as well as Israeli Health Miinistry guide for medicatiions.
It’s as if we’re watching history echo in real time. And right now, that echo is getting harder and harder to ignore. Suddenly, the words of the Haggadah don’t feel abstract.
Although we were born and set apart in Egypt, our soul and our light and our purpose and our uniqueness are revealed in their full strength in the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.
Why does the Torah not require covering the blood after slaughter for cattle, sheep, and goats?
The Pesach sacrifice was a massive act of defiance against the idolatrous Egyptian oppressors. And the Haftarah-reading for Shabbat Hagadol is the very last prophetic vision ever.
From divine objects to living architects.
Is it permitted for three male soldiers and one female soldier - who is a driver or paramedic - to remain together in a Hummer (Humvee)?
When, chronologically, did our Parashah's first verses occur?
What made Moses the right person to lead the Exodus? Why did G-d choose him, and at what precise moment was his destiny sealed?
The thanksgiving offering teaches us that not only does deliverance require gratitude, but also the possibility of continuing to live and act in the world.
The essential task is not only behavioral correction, but internal scrutiny.
Shabbat Hagadol, prior to the holiday of our freedom, reaffirms our identity as the Jewish nation. Shabbat Shuva reaffirms our identity as a God-centered people. In their land.
The world today finds itself in a fog of confusion. Why would a regime, already weakened and under immense strain, choose to double down? Look back to the Exodus to understand. And note how Pharaoh 'kept his word' when negotiating.
This time in the year, which includes the Seder, more than any other time, celebrates the ability of Jewish families to come together. And this current time in Jewish history is an opportunity to share familial unity and natiional purpose.
It is precisely at the threshold between message and moment, that this special Haftorah’s relevance to our own time becomes unmistakable.
The Chafetz Chaim saw the approaching Redemption, and he gave instructions to prepare for it properly by studying the laws of sacrifices and the Temple rituals.
Hashem is concerned with the fate and direction of all people and wants us to offer them direction. Judaism and Jews are meant to impact more than just Jews.
Non run-of-the-mill halakhic questions that people recently asked the rabbi.
A synagogue is a place that a Jewish community has designated as a place of prayer to God. It played a central role in preserving Jewish identity throughout the exile, serving as a kind of spiritual extension that continues from the Temple and the Land of Israel. Using it for mundane purposes or behaving in it in a mundane manner desecrates its sanctity.
Shidduch lessons from Parashat HaNesi’im can help the shidduch crisis and lead to Nissuin - weddings!
Borrowing the title of Pete Seeger's song to hammer home a message to Diaspora Jewish leaders.
This year, Let Your Seder Year be Transformative!
Why did God command that we bring korbanot (Temple offerings)? What is the purpose of this form of serving God?
Korbanot (0fferings), the Mincha, and the Avodah of Vayikra.
Is there any organic connection between Parashat Vayikra, Nissan, and Purim?
The korbanot in the Bet Mikdash - assuredly they were to unite worlds.
Those who give their lives for the Jewish people-the קדושים-occupy a place in heaven that no other creature can reach.
Reflections on the unifying secret of the Jewish people, on the shrunken letter that teaches us humility, and on the heroism that is revealed precisely in the 'valley of the shadow of death.'
The judgment of the nations of the world in the days of the Mashiach. Which nations are foremost and in what order?
How have we managed to transmit our tradition despite endless tribulations?
Realizing that we exist as the handiwork of our Maker must be at the forefront of our consciousness. This awareness keeps us humble and guards us from sin.
The covenant endures. The Jewish people may face criticism and reproach, but they are never abandoned.
G-d wants the real you-because only then can you experience the real G-d.
True, we are only at the beginning of the budding and blossoming of our People in our Land. But the day is not far off when we will merit to see and feel, face to face, the sweet fruits of the People of Israel in the Land of Israel.
Be of courage - our country is not received on a silver platter, but rather through war.
How does halakha define "the majority of Israel"? The answer will surprise you.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Let’s explore how the ancient drama between Ishmael, Isaac, Esau, and Jacob is playing out on the global stage today.
When the Torah scroll is being carried, and also when it is lifted up, everyone who sees it must stand until the scroll is placed in its place in the ark, or on the bimah.
A Vayikra reflection in a time of War.
Ask yourself sincerely - how much do you want to make aliyah?
Samaria Rabbi David Dudkevitch recounts his halakhic question to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach after a Molotov cocktail struck his car on the road to Shechem.
As we finished reading the Book of Exodus, its overall message becomes clear.
The Talmudic Sages' views on Persia.
Perhaps that is our challenge, right now. To maintain a touch of the angelic, of purity and holiness, in the midst of chaos and destruction.
Just as the Mishkan could only stand because every contribution was counted, so too the Jewish people grow strong when each person gives what they can, according to their abilities.
Rabbeinu Bachye explains, the very question is the answer-the Beit HaMikdash, and its predecessor, the Mishkan in the desert, was not merely a physical building; it was the repository of the collective psyche and soul of Am Yisrael, which allowed Hashem’s Shechinah to be more manifest in this physical and troubled world.
Gathering together, making sure all are accounted for, and planning ahead: this week's Torah readings parallel Israeli citizenry's response to the ubiquitous sirens that send us all to our shelters.
The story presented in the Torah is one of a holistic, pure, and ideal experience. No glitches, no politics, no accusations, no problems; a perfectly smooth ride. The Mdrash tells us the problems. So where is the truth?
To host G-d, you must make space in your heart.
It wasn't just the work itself that was done as Hashem commanded, it was also the way it was done.
Shabbat, the Tabernacle, circumcision, and temple service are foundations of holiness-but saving a life takes precedence over them.
Every national future must rest on something deeper than power alone.
The Mishkan is here to remind us of that. Hashem has brought presence to Space. Parashat Hachodesh tells us that this presence occurs in time.
The mirrors ussd for the Mishkan had an exotic histtory.
In our present war with Iran we see how Amalek is being destroyed in this period between Purim and Passover.
At my Kiryat Moshe home, on Purim, students wondered why they will say 'next year in Jerusalem' in the Haggadah when they are already there...
Happy are we, how good is our portion and the lot of our generation that we merited to return to the Land of Israel and to Jerusalem.
A tiny Caribbean island once had more Jews than all thirteen American colonies combined, and quietly saved thousands from the Holocaust.
Rav Elimelech of Lizensk reminds us that our connection with Hashem hinges upon our relationship with other people and our ability to focus on the good in each of them.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The mitzvah of mezuzah grants protection and long life to the homeowners and their children.
A Parshat Zachor to remember for generations to come.
A woman of valor whose loss will be keenly felt by family, friends and the Borough Park kehillah she led with her late husband, the Halleiner Rov zts"l.
How did Moses learn the entire Torah in forty days?
The fact that Hashem performs miracles does not release us from responsibility. On the contrary, it obligates us even more to act with seriousness and commitment.
This past Shabbat, we witnessed tens of thousands of reservists across Israel change from their Shabbat clothing into the sacred uniform of the IDF. Fathers of young children heard the reading imploring us to remember the cruelty of Amalek, then left their families to answer the call once again.
What did our Sages mean when they said that the Mem and the Samekh in the Luchot stood miraculously?
We must remember the central place that the crime of idol worship occupies in Judaism.
What evoked Moshe’s breaking of the Luchot, in fact, was his witnessing the great joy with which the sinners had embraced their mission
In a daring interpretation, classic to the Chassidic approach toward Judaism, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak becomes the great "advocate" for the Jewish people, as he always was.
This Shabbat is the confluence of three components of our calendar: the aftermath of Purim, Parashat Ki Tissa, and Shabbat Parah.
David, King of Israel, lives and endures.
Like the ashes of the red heifer, the destruction of Iran’s instruments of death can become the catalyst for cleansing.
Adv. Shalom Wasserteil explains how the mitzvah of the half-shekel places a world of holiness and charity against the money of Haman, who sought to destroy the Jewish people.
We should strive to extend the light of Purim, and the drawing together of hearts, throughout the entire year, but at the same time, we must remember that we are forbidden from being overly merciful toward our enemies.
If a siren sounds while we are reading the Megillah and we pause, do we start again or continue from where we left off?
A thousand years from now, the world may little resemble anything we can imagine. And yet, somewhere, Jewish children will celebrate Purim as they have for thousands of years. Read why,
Khomeini went the way of Haman, Israel continues to pound its enemies as recorded in the Megillah - and we thank G-d for our deliverance.
One more day of fighting, Esther begged Ahasueros. One more day of humility, she hoped. One more day of unity, she dreamed. Let us join her prayer and act upon it this year.
Purim and Yom Kippur, also called Yom Kippurim, are opposing mirror images of each other. Each provides the missing half that the other lacks and this year they merge as we celebrate in the midst of a war of survival.
“When there is a great war in the world, the power of Mashiach awakens."
My friends and brethren, the call of Queen Esther is relevant and applicable to this very moment. Let’s unite and be active in three areas to help this war succeed.
Stop arguing, just take a look at me!
The fourteenth of Adar was not random. It was repayment. G-d always pays His debts.
Although the events of Purim took place outside the Land of Israel, Purim is deeply connected to it.
A Deeper Dive into the Connection between the Ancient Serpent and the Evil of Amaleik
These special clothes indicate that the kohanim suffer from a fundamental dissonance.
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, after you left Egypt… you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget."
What is the Torah's attitude toward clothing? Is there anything wrong with trying to look one’s best and constantly keeping up with the latest style?
The Jewish people are a portable sanctuary. We are still here. Still learning. Still singing. Still blessing. Still arguing with love. Still raising Jewish children who will carry the flame forward. That is not sociology. That is not luck. That is Hashem holding us up.
The salvation of Purim began quietly - not with a miracle, not with a battle, but with Shabbat.
Haman and Amalek represent the force that brings death and destruction into the world. Mordechai - connected to the Ketoret- represents the force that stops death and destruction.
A barrier is not social segregation but a spiritual foundation that guarantees the camp's sanctity and preserves its identity.
There are moments in Jewish history when compassion becomes cruelty.
Megillat Esther never once mentions G-d; Parashat Tetsave does not mention Moses; Amalek seemed to have disappeared from history. But G-d gives us the discernment to perceive them all.
Hashem has no need for illumination, the mitzvah is solely for the honor and needs of Israel - and it also contains symbolism for daily life.
Every Jew should read Parashat Zachor and remember what Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik said about Amalek today.
There are many similarities between the return to Zion at the time of Ezra and today’s return to Zion.
![When the majority of Jews [dwell] in their Land...](https://2.a7.org/files/pictures/203x125/1055955.jpg?autocrop=1 "צילום: אייסטוק")
From the time of Moses until now, “Zayin Adar" affirms Judaism’s unwavering reverence for the sanctity of the human body, created in the image of G-d.
When there is room in the synagogue for all the worshippers, and there is no significant principled reason to establish an additional synagogue, it is forbidden to divide the community
A terrorist is not an ordinary pursuer intending to kill a specific individual, but someone who seeks to kill any Jew who happens to cross his path. How does halakha deal with that?
Joy acts like a proactive medicine for the mind. Happiness and worry simply cannot live in the same heart at the exact same moment.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Halakha points in one direction. That said, the even bigger issue from a Torah perspective may be the missed opportunity for a traditional Jewish marriage and family.
The most powerful image is one that stands for our facing one another.
Our Sages teach us that as the month of Adar advances simcha (joy) increases.
What is the significance of this unique animal, the Tachash? How are they like the Erev Rav?
Start the Party: Learning from an uncouth dictator How to celebrate Life.
Adar is suited for confronting the enemies of the Jews because of the joy of Israel during this month.
Through their deeds, which are pleasing before Him, the righteous themselves become the concrete sanctuary of Hashem.
The construction of the Mikdash/Mishkan/Tent of Meeting transformed us from a collection of families to a united nation, united in in our worship of G-d.
How the current Daf Yomi connects with the parasha we read in Shul.
The golden menorah teaches that all wisdom is directed toward the light of the Torah.
We did not simply remember the Temple. We organized our civilization around its absence.
What is the meaning of the idea that G-d “dwells among us?" And why is the Mishkan built of donated materials, instead of G-d commanding the Jews to bring them?
What purpose did the Table serve and what need was there in the Sanctuary and in the Temple, that required a Table?
The ultimate goal of Jewish life isn't to be well-integrated or liked by our neighbors. It is for Judaism to be the centering fact of your life.
Our synagogues, like the Temple, must be a Beit Midrash, a Beit Tefilah and a Beit Kenesset.
The obliteration of Amalek and building the Beit Mikdash are two commandments Bnei Yisrael must keep upon entering Eretz Yisrael.
The permission not to make Aliyah applies only to the greatest Rabbis of the generation. How is that?
By seating the elders at the front of the synagogue, the entire congregation bestows honor upon the Torah and its Sages. Although we find various communities that practiced not seating the rabbis in the “east," it is proper to return to the original custom-in order to honor the Torah and increase its influence.
‘If you accept the ordinances, there will be peace amongst you, and you will then merit to acquire the Torah.’
A daughter's memorial tribute to her mother z"l, written as the saga of going through one's parents' home after their passing.
Tens of thousands of IDF reservist soldiers are experiencing feelings not unlike those of the Israelites leaving Sinai. How does the Torah deal with this?
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars connect the Torah Reading with the Land of Israel.
“The progress of human knowledge, and all of the results of human inventions - is all the work of God."
The Iranians are suffering from obsessive, compulsive hatred of the Jews and of Israel and do not hide their intention of using any and every means to eradicate the lives of 8 million Jews in Israel. Is it wise to wait and see?!
What is the difference between a G-d Who listens and a G-d Who partners?
When my reptilian brain goes wild, I need to help it see its owner.
Parshat Shekalim itself revolves around the half-shekel - a modest, equal contribution required of every individual, rich and poor alike, toward the communal service.
Shabbat Shekalim is the first of five special Shabbatot, over seven weeks.
This Shabbat, in addition to reading the parsha of Mishpatim, we will read the haftarah for Shekalim.
We cannot undo what has been lost. We cannot remove the pain from the bereaved. But we are commanded not to add to it.
Shabbat is not merely another commandment; it is an eternal sign of the covenant between God and Israel.
The ancient moral Torah laws on relations with young women form a stark contrast to the actions of progressive liberal Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Herbert Wexner.
To treat G-d’s creatures with justice and compassion is to affirm, through our daily conduct, that the world and humanity are the handiwork of Hashem.
King Yehoash shows us that Lasting institutions are built not through transactions, but through trust.
Does this commandment have any practical application, as do the other commandments of the parashah?
Should we have fought differentlY?
Thank God, we merit to see more and more people returning to tradition, and the day is not far when the entire people will return to its roots, and through this we will be fruitful and multiply from within - and from without, through a great aliyah.
To recite the Hallel prayer of thanksgiving or not to recite it, that is NOT the question.
To fully grasp the concept of the Return, one must consider it in all its dimensions and at all of its levels.
Speech given at Mizrachi Melbourne this past Shabbat.
Humbling ourselves before G-d means strengthening ourselves before others.
Why does it say ‘they journeyed from Rephidim and arrived in the desert’? After all, we know they were iin Rephidim beforehand from previous verses.
How did Moses first present the Torah and its laws to Israel?
How does the holiness of Sinai shape Jewish life across generations? The special message of an altar built without a sword or pride, and the deep bond between the Mikdash and the justice of the Sanhedrin.
During the days of Shovavim there are two primary actions, explained below.
Seventy-five years since Auschwitz and after two decades of incessant Islamic terrorism, the mountain is hanging over our heads once again. Wiill the world accept "I am the Lord your G-d/You shall not murder"?
Yitro’s positive perspective of the Jewish people was caused by his noticing the tremendous significance that the Jewish nation attached to their heritage
Israel united as one man before the Revelation at Mount Sinai, despite the differences between each tribe and every individual Jew.
We have two different opinions as to when Yitro joined, and Zipporah rejoined, the Children of Israel: shortly before the Giving of the Torah, or shortly after it.
The crucial difference between Marah and Sinai.
G-d will tolerate many things from His servants. Becoming a prosecutor of Israel is not one of them.
The Torah records Yitro’s actions because they contain important lessons for all of us.
One can see in Seudat Yitro, celebrated by Tunisian Jews on the Thursday before Shabbat Parashat Yitro, an invitation to reconsider the boundaries of belonging and the possibility of lending an ear to wisdom that comes from outside.
Jewish life has evolved into a kaleidoscope of concepts, values, commentaries, hopes, halakhic decisions, conflicts, etc., where everyone is so sure of himself, but no one really has it right.
In the book “Eight Journals" Yaacov David Shulman has succeeded in remaining faithful to the Hebrew text while capturing the poetic style of Rabbi Kook’s often intricate prose.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The Torah commanded every Jew to write a Torah scroll for himself. From the time that it was permitted to write the Oral Torah, the commandment is fulfilled through purchasing the books by means of which one actually studies Torah. Databases do not count as books.
“Rabbi," Rabbi Gold asked of Rav Kook, “why were you so deeply moved by the planting of a single tree?
A person should approach military service with the understanding that it is a mitzva-one that overrides even considerations of danger to life, a mitzva whose value is beyond measure, no matter what his placement is.
The trees, except for the almond, look bare and bleak on Tu B'Shvat, but the sap is already rising inside. An important corollary for our personal and national lives.
Rabbi Abba said: you have no clearer sign of the End than this, as it is said: ‘But you, mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel…
How hard is it to earn a living? As hard as building a marriage?
We only celebrate the Rosh Hashanah of trees, but not of other plants or even tree saplings. Why are trees more important than other vegetation?
Moshe’s retrieving of the body of Yosef would thereby serve as the cog in the wheel that would prepare Am Yisrael’s next leader, Yehoshua, after Moshe’s passing 40 years later.
Why does Jewish Law oppose men listening to a female singer? And why, then, did Miriam and the Israelite women sing at the Red Sea?
Let’s listen to what our children say. Often, they just comment on things. They say sweet nothings. But sometimes there’s something really perceptive. Like Miriam.
The story of the man who led Israel to victory, who defeated the enemy nations who were oppressing us - and never requested recognition.
In the name of all the citizens of the state, we express our gratitude to G-d who gave the government leaders the fortitude to withstand the heavy pressure and well-financed demonstrations and did not agree to endanger civilians in order to free the hostages.
The month of Shevat symbolizes a stage that focuses on the tree itself before the actual growth of the fruits.
The authority responsible for security in our beloved Land is the Israel Defense Forces - and only the IDF. Or the police. No private individual is permitted to take the law into his own hands.
The Prophetess Devora asks the tribes who did not join the fight against Sisera's forces when Israel was under threat, where were you? This is the question that many in Israel must now confront honestly. And it has nothing to do with the fact that the Israelites won without those tribes.
My sense is that many contemporary Jews, especially those who would identify as “liberal," might not be entirely comfortable with Moses' Song of the Sea. It is not in sync with a mindset that views war as an evil that “never solves anything." What is Judaism's view?
You fight-but not with fear. You fight with trust, knowing that the outcome is in His hands alone.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Why did Hashem cause the Israelites to worry about lack of water, and - further - bring them to a place of bitter waters?
Excerpt from the book "I will hide My Face from them."
Joseph's bones were taken with the Jews when they left Egypt, the start of a tradition that we do not move on without our heroes. And Ran Gvili, who parallels the martyrs of Beitar, will be buried with dignity.
Tefillin are a sign for Israel-that is, a symbol and marker that expresses their very essence. The passages of the tefillin express the foundations of faith. One of these foundations is the centrality of the Land of Israel, which is mentioned many times in the tefillin.
An innovative grass roots initiative is educating and connecting our youth.
The burning bush is the eternal symbol of Jewish history. The bush is on fire, yet it is not consumed. And the State of Israel is the living proof.
God is looking for something else entirely. Opinion.
G-d's life changing message to Moses as he was afraid to confront Pharaoh.
Some people's life overplays competition and ego, forgetting about need and the most fitting arrangements.
It is not enough to free slaves. They must be trained for independence, courage, and aspiration.
The Exodus and the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea were one and the same thing. One without the other is incomplete. A lesson for Hamas in our time.
Why is this fact of the non-barking dogs significant?
Why is it that God killed all the firstborns in Egypt and didn't suffice with simply killing Pharaoh’s firstborn son? The answer is as applicable today as it was then.
Tzvi LeTzaddik explains that in reality, every Jew during the time of exile suffered doubly-once for their own personal pain and again due to the fact that they witnessed their brethren suffering
Torah is never just history. It is a mirror of today - and a warning for tomorrow.
Jewish existence is not sustained by circumstance, but by promise.
We are in a transitional stage, in a period in which lights and shadows function together.
why did Moshe convey the message “ַכּחצת " “at approximately midnight"?
Rabbi Nebenzahl: Hashem made a mockery of Pharoah and the Egyptians, to obviate any possibility of a mistaken impression that there was that there was a battle between two forces.
Let us always be humble and ready to acknowledge our flaws. There is no such thing as a human being who never sins. We all act foolishly and make grave mistakes at some point in our lives.
Why did the Torah call the Jews who left Egypt an army?
This generation connects spiritually to the Land of Israel. That is the source of its willingness for self sacrifice in times of war.
Our sages say that the “light of Geulah shines upon those who recite this psalm." Why?
The Torah assumes Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael.
If we understood even a fraction of the true universal influence of the meeting of the Jewish Neshama (soul) with the Holy Land, an influence which infuses a higher life to all existence, we would not ask that question.
What keeps Diaspora Jewry from getting on that aliya plane?
How does one deal with non-attendance at a non-halakhic wedding without causing a hopeless rift in the family?
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
If we had to point to one question that touches many of the sugyot, what would that be?
Redemption begins when I stop making peace with the lies.
When people refuse to see what is happening-when they ignore tension, brush away pain, deny blame, or pretend problems will vanish-the damage grows quietly until it is too late.
Two special jewels symbolize two special traits of the Jewish people.
We cry out to the Heavens “Ad Motai", how much longer do we have to suffer in Exile, why does evil continue to befall us and why have you not saved and redeemed Your people?
Certainly, the world still has much room for improvement, but it is in a process of continuous and ongoing advancement.
Do we show gratitude to someone who helped us if he also benefitted? What does it signify to show gratitude to inanimate objects as Moses did?
Commentators interpret the meaning of the words used to foretell the Exodus and the Israelites' becoming G-d's chosen nation.
A disagreement between the Ramban and the Ibn Ezra.
The four words of Redemption allude not only to the Exodus from Egypt, but also to the departure from the subjugation of the four kingdoms that ruled over Israel.
What can the ancient prophecy about Pharaoh and dating back over 2500 years tell us about our own world? Quite a bit.
We have to build our homeland in the Name of Hashem, the G-d of Israel.
Haamek Davar notes that the Torah’s describing the wife of Elazar in these Pesukim is designed to teach that she contributed greatly to Elazar’s lofty status-hence, they were blessed with a child as great as Pinchas.
If antisemitism looks like this during prosperity, what will happen when the inevitable downturn arrives?
This principle of unity transforming individuals into something qualitatively different is beautifully mirrored in Judaism.
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed answers a halakhic question, stating: "Explain that despite your love for him, you will not come to his wedding, because it is forbidden according to the Jewish faith".
Klal Yisrael is built in living rooms, at Shabbos tables, in bedtime Shema, in stories told on a grandparent’s knee. The chain rests with us.
Either man accepts God’s authority as the Legislator of moral norms, or he will eventually fail in all attempts to create a moral society.
Why are the physical traits of the Land emphasized the first time Hashem talks about it to Moshe? Young Religious Zionistt Torah scholars provide answers.
How did Pharaoh’s daughter know that the baby in the Nile was a Hebrew child?
What do these enigmatic names - ‘I Will Be Who I Will Be’ and ‘I Will Be’ - mean?
The prolific Torah luminary whose Mishne Torah, Sefer Hamitzvot, Guide to the Perplexed, Letter to Yemen's Jews, and more light up the ages, is brought to life in Israel during the week of his yahrzeit, with the high point an annual three day Rambam Conference.
The Rabbis in the Midrash, always sensitive to nuance, focus our attention on the enigmatic words: "G-d saw that Moses turned to see, so He called out to him from amidst the bush." What does that symbolize?
Moshe as a baby, non-supervised milk, and the food that builds a Jew.
We live in an age of unprecedented Jewish freedom and unprecedented Jewish disappearance. The Haftorah tells us that those who have disappeared are not lost forever.
The midwives saw to it that a healthy body was accompanied by a healthy soul. So must we.
Hopes which are destroyed cause deeper despair than complete hopelessness. The Jews had hoped for a new Pharaoh who would ease their lot, but the opposite occurred. Where to turn?
How to gain from a crisis.
There is a struggle here over the source of shefa - the flow of blessing - in the world.
Our sages teach that public embarrassment is akin to bloodshed, yet it is far easier to ignore it, to go about our business and pretend nothing happened. We think why should I get involved and put myself at risk?
Commentators analyze the symbolism of the burning bush.
Moshe’s name conveyed a lifelong mission: to oppose injustice and to fight on behalf of the helpless.
Were it Halakhically permissible, we would have to recite Hallel every day here in Hashem’s Holy Land!
Every tyrant who oppresses his citizens and does evil is also an enemy of Israel - from Pharaoh all the way to Maduro and Khomenei.
Jewish communities of Ashkenaz, Sepharad, and the Yemenites each read a different prophecy as the haftarah for Parshat Shemot, with each focusing on a distinct aspect of this redemptive process.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The mitzvah of tzitzit particularly expresses faith and the unique destiny of Israel. The most honorable garment is the four-cornered fringed tallit which expresses all the latent powers within the person and within the world.
Just remember, the future of Am Yisrael and Torat Yisrael are in Eretz Yisrael, and we are fortunate enough to live in the historic generation of kibbutz galuyot.
The writing of the Septuagint was celebrated by many, yet our sages describe this moment as darkness descending on the world. Why?
Hashem is sending a coded message of encouragement for the Jewish nation.
There is a dire need to teach the truth to all Am Yisrael, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.
We are not asking for more. We are asking that the chain remain unbroken.
Much good can result from recalling the punishment for wrongdoing, even if this motivation may appear beneath one’s spiritual stature.
What true leadersship looks like.
Why was Yehuda chosen to lead? For many reasons, but first and foremost, a leader has to be able to stand up and jump into action to tackle threats, without consideration of the fallout or personal risk.
What is the difference between a blessing given through the hands and a blessing given through the knees?
"...Thus, the true source of the tension between Yehuda and Yosef was this clash between an emphasis on Chessed, versus an emphasis on Torah..."
Why did Jacob ask to be buried in Israel? See what the commentators have to say.
There is disagreement among our commentators if these are prophecies of the times of the mashiach, or if they refer to other events.
There is profound humility in King David’s words. For all his achievements, he frames his legacy not around military victories or political triumphs, but around covenant.
God does not do anything by accident. Not now. Not last year, not a thousand years ago. Not ever.
It is not good for a victim to replay the horror he experienced and to keep active the pain he has gone through. He must instead remove the traumatic event from active consciousness.
The Midrash identifies Manasseh and Ephraim not only as concrete individuals, but also their descendants Yehoshua and Gideon. What is that based on?
If a swastika on a wall provokes outrage while an interfaith wedding invites applause, our moral compass is dangerously off course.
Israel’s political, intelligence and diplomatic corps along with the media must remember they are in the employ of victory on the battlefield and security during peace time.
Hashem gives each person a role, a mission, a contribution. Ephraim receives leadership; Menashe receives honor. One is not at the expense of the other.
One of the four fasts mourning the Temple's destruction, today marks the day the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began.
The Levites were the officers responsible for the fulfillment of the commandments of war. From here we learn that yeshiva students may not be exempted from army service by claiming that they are like Levites
As I sit and study looking at the falling snow, I realize that each figure in Bereshit, which we will finish reading this coming Shabbat, is a bridge; each figure is a link in the destined chain. As we all are.
Just as Joseph's brothers were reconciled and unified and spoke one with another, also in our generation, the People of Israel, who are being gathered from among the nations, must become unified in the Land of Israel.
Meta-mitzvot are necessary because the Torah cannot possibly address every circumstance people encounter. Kedushah is an example.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Why did Yaakov send Yehuda to Egypt before he descended there to see his son Yosef at last?
"The Jewish people are crowned with two qualities, Eidut (testimony) and Torah, one seen in Joseph and the other in Judah."
"I Am Who I Am, Because You Sold Me."
We have witnessed the resurrection of the dry bones. We have seen the ashes of Auschwitz giving rise to the miracle that is the State of Israel. In the past two years, through trauma, loss, and uncertainty, the Jewish people have survived. But endurance is not the final goal.
Yosef had been nearly killed, sold as a slave, and spent years in an Egyptian dungeon because of his brothers’ aspersions; his father, Yaakov, was grieving and suffering for 22 years-and yet, despite all of the above, Yosef understood that it is still more worthwhile not to embarrass his brothers, and reveal himself to Yaakov.
The temptation to despair is strong. But Torah teaches that we cannot remain there. We must act responsibly, together, and with unity.
How Yossef is showing and hinting to Yaakov how he dealt with the Egyptian world successfully.
The prophet clarifies: Unity demands shared purpose, honest self-examination and recommitment to what binds us together.
This is perhaps the most dramatic narrative in the entire Torah. Why did Yosef suddenly conclude the charade?
In the end, Rachel and Leah are is not a competition, but a single system.
Last week we celebrated Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights - which is all about Miracles. Why are miracles so important? Watch and find out.
Eight Jews stood in a Soviet courtroom like upright candles and declared their loyalty to the Jewish people. It happened during the dark days of Communism when that could mean exile to Siberia or worse. A true story.
There is really no way to leave a state of depression unless one has the courage and boldness to dedicate their energies to developing and honing their talents and doing something worthwhile for society.
We are now in transition, from Hannukah, the holiday of light and celebration, to a day of fasting and mourning. How do we do that?
The primary role of the members of the Tribe of Levi is to lead the army spiritually, and see to its disciplined behavior.
As in Miketz, after two years of war, we look back and glance at what is happening. It feels like a dream. And it goes on - like a prophecy.
In Judaism, there is a core and ancient teaching that we should strive to learn an important lesson from every experience in our lives, especially when that experience is connected to a significant and Divinely inspired holiday like Hanukkah. What we learn from olive oil.
There is no guarantee that our enemies will no longer attack us here in Israel - but at least their sadistic joy is guaranteed to be short-lived and thoroughly repaid. And one day we will sing a Psalm for the coming of Mashiach.
Hanukkah does not offer simple answers, nor does it lessen the pain. It asks something deeper of us: to hold on to faith even when matters are unclear and the Hand of G-d seems concealed.
The interpreter has a key function in the realization of a dream: his analysis can determine how the dream will come to pass.
We already know that everything that was created with man, was worthy of existing - except for the foreskin, as the Torah commanded us to remove it.
There are three awe-inspiring similarities between Yosef and the Hanukkah lights, starting with his name.
The prophet does not deny the danger. He transcends it.
When Mashiach comes, we will realize that we are currently in a dream. Our life is a living paradox, yet it seems to make sense to us as if it were normal.
From the Yeshiva's Beit Midrash in the Arab Quarter (actually the Old Jewish Quarter) of the Old City, Rabbi Aviner talks about miracles, why we don't say Hallel on Purim, and more.
Someone asked me if there is any way that we can forgive the Australian government and what it would take for them to regain trust of Australian Jewry. So, let’s talk about Yosef.
What was the real conflict?
When one signs onto idolatry, they are in fact [subconsciously or consciously] worshipping their own self interest; the idolatry is just an external rationalization of the undertaken path. Judaism, however, requires “Bittul", or self-awareness that there is one true G-d, Hashem, to whom we must pledge our devotion,
Grappling with questions of faith, forging a heightened awareness of God’s presence in daily life, and making the Creator accessible to the tens of thousands of Jews who thirst for His voice must stand at the very top of our educational agenda, but it is not on this one.
Rashi explains in the name of the Sifrei that the light of God’s countenance “gives you grace.”
How should Yosef have dealt with the Chief Butler so that his plight would be remembered after interpreting the two prisoners' dreams?
The four letters on the dreidel are not the same in Israel and the Diaspora. They tell us something we should pay attention to.
It is all too easy to look around us and feel hopeless...
It's time for a Hanukkah that simply says: As a Jew, I am the inheritor of Jews who fought for the political independence of the Jewish state. I am a Zionist just like Judah the Maccabee. Op-ed.
When darkness strikes one corner of the Jewish world, the shadows are felt in the heart of every single Jew globally. Your pain is deeply, personally our pain.
Why does the blessing mention one light when we light an ascending number of candles on the holiday?
Words of encouragement for Hanukkah.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The victory in war and the dedication of the altar are one and the same. And in our time we have been privileged to see both.
Numerous Kohanim and the Levites participated in the wars of Israel. Even before they participated in wars as regular soldiers, they led the soldiers of Israel in their fighting.
The eternal challenge of Jewish leadership is knowing when to stand firm and when to acknowledge reality, when to pursue the ideal and when compromise is necessary.
Rav Yitzchok Hutner's thoughts on the significance of the Maccabees' victory over the Greeks: 'The rekindling of the Temple Menorah on Hanukkah represents a new era of Torah transmission.'
“Peace will prevail in the future,” Rabbi Kook concludes, “when people come to recognize clearly that all of the different, individual lights are truly one single light." And who would lead them?
Why did Joseph go to the brothers he knew hated him - and why did Jacob send him, knowing the same?
Sometimes what I perceive to be good for me could actually be bad, and what I think is bad could actually be something absolutely extraordinary for me.
The many impure sources of Redemption are a defense against the Satan - the adversary, whose purpose is to prevent the Redemption from coming into the world.
The Parsha shows us how individuals can go astray, The Haftorah shows us how nations do.
Yaakov thought there was no need for a future exile after all he had gone through. The Medrash explains.
The prophet Jeremiah brings G-d's comforting words to Mother Rachel, but how can she find comfort when the promise of redemption is far into the future?
The point of the Torah is not that great people are saints who never do wrong. They are ordinary humans who are imperfect beings and capable of serious mistakes.
In this parasha, we learn about Judah, the leader of the tribe that will give the Israelites the kingdom of David and ultimately, the Messiah.
A disagreement does not undo our connection. A quarrel cannot touch the neshamah within.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
G-d assured Yaakov that Eisav’s rule will eventually end. All Yaakov had to do was to ascend the ladder in his dream himself, and he would prevent this version of history from ever happening. Yet Yaakov refused to ascend the ladder.
The Maggid of Mezritch's yahrzeit is also the day the Alter Rebbe was released from Czarist prison - and the day that, many years later, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neria, founder of the Bnai Akiva yeshiva network, returned his soul to his Maker. Here are their stories.
Look at Joseph and his brothers as a model. The spark of holiness within every Jewish soul can bring people back together no matter what their differences.
My Jewish brethren, come to Eretz Yisrael - here you will know that you are alive, living a life that is worthy of its name, in the land of life.
This day marks the “birth” of Chabad Chassidism, when the long-hidden secrets of Judaism emerged from the womb of mysticism to illuminate and transform the totality of Jewish life.
What defines Eisav? Is it the vicious Jew-hatred which has defined so much of Christian civilisation? Or is it the genuine Christian love and support for Jews and for Israel that we have seen, particularly in this current war?
According to many halakhic authorities, the Torah obligation for men is to wear tefillin every day for just a brief moment. Others argue that one is obligated to wear tefillin all day, as was customary in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud.
Read how the human brain-arguably the most complex physical structure in the known universe-reflects the same archetypal numerical framework that Jewish mysticism describes spiritually.
The brit is how we identify ourselves as Hashem’s people and is a symbol of our relationship with Him. And of what that signifies in our personal lives.
“And I Will Remove the Sin of That Land in One Day”
Every human being is invited into a hero’s journey, maybe not quite as dramatic as Yosef’s or the Maccabees,’ but equally holy.
The prohibition of gid ha-nasheh is meant to project a broad ethical aspiration, beyond the issue of how we should treat animals.
“For Israel Shall Be Your Name.”
Standing at the crossroads, the Torah reminds us that hatred of the Jew has never been cured by Jewish self-erasure. It has never been softened by Jewish timidity.
One of the greatest of all minchas is actually, the ring that the groom gives to a bride under the chuppah. In order to show that he loves and cares for her.
Why the insane obsession with Israel and Jews?
Their return is happening now. It is not accidental. It is not demographic or sociological. It is prophetic. And with prophecy comes responsibility.
As a response to the violation of their sister, Shimon and Levi proceed to destroy the city of Shechem. The commentaries seek to explain the rationale for their behavior.
In the midst of the many tragic events in the parasha, Hashem speaks to Yaakov. What is the underlying message in the timing of His words?
We know the problems. We can preach. We can wish for solutions. But none of that brings change. Each of us must take initiative. Start where we can. Do what we can.
Nothing is more important for the survival and welfare of mankind than the ability of enemies to resolve their grievances and to genuinely forgive one another.
Couldn't Yaakov simply avoided his brother?
Does Am Yisrael deserve the Brachot? Do we live up to the title we hold? Are we fulfilling our mission as the chosen nation?
Do we have the resolve to look past the opinions of others and seek the core truth of every person and situation?
The answer is a function of the country's needs.
Rav Kook asserted that in the era of Revival when Diaspora Jews begin to return to Zion in large numbers, the truncated Torah of Exile must be replaced with a Redemption-filled Torah of Light, of Eretz Yisrael, the "Redeeming Torah." This book opens the door to that light.
In the harsh reality he faced, Yehudah did the best he could, say some commentators. At the very least, he saved Yosef from death. Yehudah is praised for recognizing what was achievable. But others criticize him and feel he could have achieved more.
Reading about Yaacov’s marriages to Leah and Rachel is an appropriate time to recall some of the duties incumbent upon Jewish husbands.
Parashat Vayetzei's Ashkenazi and Sepharadi haftorahs are back to back in the book of Hoshea, but have different themes.
Although I am a Hebrew speaker, I traveled to the USA, in order to teach Torah, meet our Jewish brethren, learn about their strengths and the challenges they face, and counteract the negative picture of Israel in the media by describing the gooness of the Land of Israel.
When someone is in harmony, they connect to the soul's source, which exists beyond the limits of linear time. They operate at the level of "thought," which is instant and limitless.
Modeling is the only authentic and impactful form of education.
Whether the Jew is wealthy or poor, mighty or weak, it seems we face our troubles in isolation. Not during the Holocaust, not in 1948, noy today. Except that we are never actually alone.
Is this the country we have been waiting for? Absolutely! It’s not yet total light, but it has a lot of light.
Each of the three daily prayers has its own special nature.
One cannot deny Mamdani’s contribution to the efforts of encouraging Jews to return home.
When hatred becomes normal, when lies replace truth, and when the “faces” around us change, the Torah teaches us to recognize it. That is what Yaakov saw before he returned to Eretz Yisrael.
These are challenging times for our people, and for all good people.
In the end, they parted, by making a covenant - at Laban’s behest - between them, but what did Laban really want?
In this week's parasha, Leah thanks G-d when Yehuda is born and we thank G-d every morning before we get out of bed.
It was not about Kashrut or Shabbat or prayer, but something deeper and more pervasive.
There is a deep, ongoing tension within Am Yisrael regarding which tribe represents the proper approach to the Shechina, and which tribe should host the Mikdash.
May we take this poignant lesson to heart, and understand that Eretz Yisrael cannot be bargained for. It is our land, and the vision and desire of millions of our brethren, over thousands of years of Jewish history, have always rested on the Land of Israel.
Learning how to live one's life by emulating the deeds and words of a great man, a man of extraordinary humility, drive and moral clarity, a leader who carried Klal Yisrael in his heart.
Jews who are invited to the homes of non-Jewish acquaintances for a Thanksgiving meal should keep the Purim story in mind. Yes, it's your life, but the Torah includes the rules on how to live it.
![Guess who's coming for [Thanksgiving] dinner?](https://2.a7.org/files/pictures/203x125/1204437.jpg?autocrop=1 "Courtesy")
Yaakov Avinu reminds us that wherever a Jew may be, his inner compass must point to Eretz Yisrael.
In departing from his parents, Yaakov was in fact obeying their wishes and thus fulfilling the commandment to honor one’s parents. Why then should the Sages say that the length of his absence is a cause for punishment?
Life without familiar faces is difficult - even for great people.
The War of Gog and Magog is described in Ezekiel, Chapter 38, as a war in which all the nations of the world rise up against us, and with God’s help we are victorious.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The Rebbe said in a letter written to someone inquiring about homosexuality, “if it were beyond human control, Hashem would not have made it a sin.”
Developments in Christian theological thought, and changing attitudes among Jews about engaging with others, may finally have us moving beyond the ancient conflict between Jews and Christians.
Every Jewish male is commanded to write a Torah scroll for himself. Today the practice is to fulfill the commandment of writing a Torah scroll in partnership. A woman too may study from the sacred Torah scroll.
Parents cannot prevent their child from performing a mitzvah, whether it be learning Torah, marrying, praying, or moving to Israel.
Our Sages teach in the Gemara that even one who has no field must give thanks to God, for ultimately the livelihood and survival of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel depend upon rain.
Eisav certainly ranks as one of the worst personalities presented to us in the entire Bible. And yet, here we see that he did excel in something.
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars connect Eretz Yisrael to the parasha. In Parashat Toldot, the Malbim explains that the “Shechina” resides in the Land of Israel.
This week’s Parsha, Toldot, provides understanding of Rav Kook’s philosophy of Jewish militarism and power. It sheds light on what should be a Jew’s attitude toward serving his Nation, and on the use of Jewish power.
Rivkah didn't want to deceive her husband, she Just wanted Jacob to display another side.
Isaac appreciated Esau’s ability to hunt and dominate the beasts, the trait needed to dominate bestial peoples. Could Yaakov do the same?
Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva, founded by Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook, served as the nucleus for the major spiritual and educational role played by Religious Zionism in the Jewish State. Last week thousands of alumni and friends came to offer their thanks and celebrate.
In our time, “the voice of Yaacov,” spoken with supplication, with gentle spirit, and with a sincere desire to bring satisfaction and goodness to others, must serve as a guiding light.
The wondrous outcome of Rivkah's pregnancy, is that all that the nations create in this world, in the end result, is for the benefit of Bnei Israel, in their service of Hashem.
Water has been a defining component of Israel’s history, from Noah’s flood through the lives of our Patriarchs to our own time. It is part of the symbiotic connexion between the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel. As the Land has welcomed its nation back home, so the nation has rejuvenated the Land.
The story of the blessing of Yaakov is full of deception. How can we understand that?
A reflection on the 18th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attack and the Yartzheit of Gavriel Noach and Rivka Holtzberg הי“ד. In memoria
Everyone invited to dinner gets to eat. G-d’s portion is the Torah that we study and the food we give to the poor.
This parasha teaches us that even when the chances of success seem slim, a person must make an effort, do his part, and leave the rest in Hashem’s hands.
From the root of the word atar (“to entreat”), the Sages derived that prayer is heard only when there is peace among those praying.
An appreciation of man’s godliness should both deter murder and inspire us to bring more human life into the world.
In recent years, the clear divide between the seen and unseen has diminished. The force that broke this divide was not religion but science itself.
Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel brought a willingness to contribute and a pure Zionism centered on longing for Jerusalem as a heavenly city, but they also brought a previously unknown holiday that has been officially recognized in the State of Israel.
We all confront many situations in which it is tempting to put a spin on things and manipulate the facts so that they are more in line with our interests or prevent catastrophe. Are we allowed to do so?
Yitzchak and Rivkah loved what they lacked.
Rabbi Hauer's shloshim took place this week. His way of life was humility, but as our Sages wisely said, “one who runs from honor, honor chases after him.”
How can it be possible that so many great haredi Rabbis err in their opposition to Zionism?
The three great dangers that have always confronted Am Yisrael, in days of yore and today.
It is the “Patriarchs’ acts of kindness” and their vibrant, natural Torah that will redeem their descendants in the final generation
The children of Ishmael are destined to rule the Holy Land when it is empty, and they will hinder Israel from returning, until the merit of their circumcision, which is an incomplete covenant, ends, just as the period of the giants ended.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: The Morning, Dusk, and Night of Judaism.
The demands of public service can strain devotion to one’s own family - a tension faced by three of the most important figures in Jewish history: Avraham Avinu (our patriarch), Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher), and David Hamelekh (the king).
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Life confronts us with the Absolute and the Ideal. The former leaves no place for compromise; the latter demands that we be flexible. The parasha shows us the differrence.
Sarah recognized Hashem - with Abraham - when she was thirty-eight, the thirty-eighth year being reckoned with the earlier period, of not knowing Hashem.
Once again Hebron and the Land of Israel are rising to renewed life, this time through the descendants of Avraham our father, who settle the Land of the Patriarchs and Hebron with self-sacrifice.
Rabbi David Samson: "Just as a person can’t pick up a scalpel and become a brain surgeon without years of preparation, a person cannot become a Jewish Meditator without first meeting all of the entrance requirements."
Like most rabbis, Rabbi Price held that it is appropriate to convert non-Jewish spouses, even if they do not intend to observe mitzvot, in order to preserve the Jewish identity of the Jew and their descendants.
The Moadim are a time when we meet with Hashem - either by physically travelling to the Beit HaMikdash or, at least, by being in His Presence.
Family ties form the basis of our service of Hashem.
Completing the aliyah of Ethiopia’s 7000 remaining Jews would proclaim to the world - and to ourselves - that even in war, the Jewish heart remembers its calling: to gather its dispersed, to uphold dignity, and to act with compassion. Opinion.
Rabbi Kahane used to say, “If you want to know what they’d (the Arabs) do to us if given the chance, look at what they do to each other.” Therefore, the Jewish people must never again be spectators in their own destiny.(Must read: an excerpt from his writings at the end.)
Israel's first Chief Rabbi presciently writes about how a return from almost certain death, similar to the return of the living hostages a short while ago, affects a person and the nation.
Just as the quantum field binds the physical world through invisible forces, faith binds the soul to the field of divine intelligence.
Abraham did not give up or put his faith in God to bring about these promises through miracles. Instead, he set about fulfilling those promises through his own efforts.
The duty of Jews everywhere is to face the nisyonot of our generation with the same firmness that Avraham Avinu showed.
The Avnei Nezer gave a special entrance exam for the young by, then ordained as a rabbi at 18. To earn a living, he invested in real estate, amassed wealth, and then opened his own bank, but when the Nazis rose to power, fled with nothing. Then in Toronto, he headed the “Torat Chaim” Yeshiva for 38 years and continued to serve as head of the Toronto Rabbinical Court until his passing.
Torah law and majority rule are compatible when moral limits are applied, for example, to decisions of the majority.
What happens when the castle returns to being just sand, when the waves which just minutes ago were on the shore begin to flow out to sea, unrecognizable in the vastness of ocean.
When we light our menorahs this Hanukkah, we are not just commemorating an ancient military victory. We are celebrating something far more profound: the triumph of a unified Jewish people who refused to disappear.
Now, what are the chances that you, or I, or anybody, might actually come across the pillar of salt which used to be Lot’s wife to say the mandated blessings? The meaning of this commandment is much deeper.
A child is not required to be a servant to his parents in his personal life decisions (within an observant framework), as HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook explained.
Seforno notes, that Jewish custom at the circumcision of a child is to leave a chair unoccupied to represent a designated makom for the Shechinah [Hashem’s earthly presence].
What is so significant about these two affirmative mitzvot of brit milah and the Pesach sacrifice that places them in the Karet category?
The study of Torah, when undertaken with humbleness and dedication, can lead one to a special encounter with HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
“I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and her returnees through righteousness.”
The whole sorry episode of Sodom and Gomorrah teaches is that yes, there can be an entire metropolis, and entire region, in which every single man, woman, and child, down to the new-born baby, is judged and found to be evil.
Commentators weigh in on the unexpected laughter of Matriarch Sarah at the news that she would bear a son.
Kitah weekly videos suggest topics for discussion at your Shabbat table.
Mothers are always praying for their children, even when they aren’t aware of doing it.
Avraham and Isaac didn’t let their greatness get to their head.
The use of egg donors raises many halakhic and ethical questions.
Our devotion to God does not require that we sacrifice the family relationships most dear to us. On the contrary; true devotion to God demands that we invest in those relationships.
The Jewish people are no strangers to uncertainty and at the Orthodox Union, we are more determined than ever to continue advocating for the needs of the Jewish people.
Lot’s story is a warning for every generation: chesed without understanding deceives the heart and misleads the hand. We see it clearly today.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Of course, it is preferable not to employ those who oppose our existence in this Land. However, as long as there is no practical alternative, it is forbidden to halt the building of our land, lest we repeat the Sin of the Spies.
I saw in you a genius wordsmith, whose ability to share Torah was extraordinary. All this was combined with a deep and abiding love for Am Yisrael.
In their very first encounter, Hashem’s initial words to Avraham were “Lech lecha!” If you want to come close to Me and discover your mission in life then go to the Land I will show you.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer showed respect and developed genuine friendships with Jews and non-Jews from many different backgrounds and communities, and across the political spectrum.
An age-old phenomenon that is still with us, with one crucial change.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Abraham and his revolutionary faith kindled a nascent spark of faith among the nations.
Avraham was not going to be, like Noach and Adam, born of a world where it was just him and his wife; rather, they were going to be the progenitor and catalyst of a new people
The Prophetic consolation after the Three Weeks lasts well into the next year. We receive Isaiah’s healing message of consolation not for seven weeks, but for ten weeks.
Sarah didn’t think she was beautiful; Avraham knew better.
The Nation of Israel has a special power called the strength of Rachel, which keeps it alive.
HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook told visiting students from the Diaspora that the command “Lech lecha” is as imperative today as when it was first spoken to Avraham:
The all-women's Breishit Ensemble performs in gratitude for the miracles the Jewish People have witnessed in the merit of Matriarch Rachel, whose yahrzeit is this Saturday night.
In this week's Kitah high video, I share a very famous Midrash that raises the difficult issue of children challenging their parents' beliefs and way of life.
All the noble traits that appeared in Avraham our father, and all the good deeds that he performed throughout his life, have not been lost. They were imprinted within the people of Israel, in the spiritual and even physical “chromosomes” of the People of the God of Avraham.
Avraham and Sara are the exemplars of Divine service, models who we must strive to emulate.
The Chatam Sofer reconciles the seemingly irreconciliable views of Rashi and of Ramban, and lauds Abraham's ability to instill faith in his descendants.
The life of Avraham is a sign for those who make Aliyah to Israel: at first they will have difficulties, but in the end, the blessing will surely come.
The very essence of the Land of Israel is that it is dependent upon G-d’s constant care. And the most immediately obvious expression of that care is the rain.
Without the kitniyot issues, we would be one more step closer to being simply “Jews of Israel”, instead of being Ashkenazi or Sephardi Jews, or Jews from Morocco, Ethiopia, or India.
Every star in the heavens matters - and so does every Jew on earth. We are brothers and sisters.
Our war for the Land and the revival of our people includes numerous systems and all the systems need repair. A state commission of inquiry appointed by the Supreme Court will not help at all, because the judicial system also needs scrutiny.
In this series of articles, the writer highlights that many of today’s scientists, in their relentless quest to comprehend the universe, are discovering the very same truths and principles articulated thousands of years ago in our Holy Torah.
The generation of the Flood could not stop Noah from boarding the ark and the American VP cannot derail the sovereignty train. A little humility, and some historical perspective, is required of the Trump administration.
The Torah does not demand that every non-Jew living among us convert, nor does it require their expulsion. But it does require that those who remain in the Land accept the basic terms of moral conduct and recognize the rightful authority of a Jewish nation in its land.
There are no mechanisms in place to safeguard the Jewish population in America. Alliyah is their best recourse. Opinion.
The Talmud states in Megillah 9b: “May the beauty of Yefeth reside in the tents of Shem.” How can that be?
In the Torah, an ish ḥamasim-a man of violence-is a ruthless, merciless person who sees brutality as a legitimate means to achieve his aims. Such is today's Hamas as shown both in its charter and its barbarity, and we must therefore open our eyes to reality.
As the time for Moshiach’s arrival swiftly approaches, one can’t help but notice the utter insanity that surrounds philosophy and what is considered educated thought in today’s world.
Why do the Sages feel compelled to denigrate Noach?
Israel’s wealth is a Divine promise being fulfilled. And the Torah connects the promise of prosperity with God’s love for His people.
Who is greater? Noah or Avraham. Let us compare the two following the example of Chazal..
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak provided a daring translation of Rashi’s comment on why Noah didn't enter the ark until forced to by the rain - and it is a lesson for all of us.
Noah, Daniel and Job saw three worlds. So have we.
Mere mutual interest and collective survival are not sufficient to unite all humanity and safeguard the world
The episode of Noach’s drunkenness is a poignant commentary on the difficulty of beginning again in a universe that has seen death and pain. The haftarah and G-d's words to Noach tell us how to begin again today as well.
“The dove found rest on it (Shabbat), and there the weary will rest,” wrote Yehuda Halevy.
Why does Rashi comment: ’’Noach debased himself’ - he should have first engaged in planting something other than a vineyard."
Shem and Yefet covered their father’s shame; so should we.
On the book that presents intimate descriptions of two giants of Torah and their teachings, set against the dramatic rebirth of the Land of Israel and the Statehood of Israel in our times.
Granted that the world could not have come into being without Him, once created, can it persist on its own, independent of His sustaining Providence?
This is the great contradiction within the human soul - the eternal internal battle we all wage every moment of our lives.
Due to Sukkot, the shloshim for Rabbi Prof. Dov Fischer will not take place 30 days after his burial, so we are posting this memorial piece now, a tribute to the brilliant mind, fearless voice, and unbreakable heart of American Orthodoxy's most compelling advocate.
Just as your hand touches no object but feels and experiences the force between electron clouds, so too are we constantly connected to the energy of Holiness that sustains all existence invisibly yet tangibly.
Judaism’s Thirteen Principles of Faith begin with the need to recognize Hashem as the world's Creator.
Even a religious and spiritually righteous person is capable of being afflicted with historical blindness.
From watching the behavior of a tzaddik, one can learn as much as from his Torah lectures.
According to Rav Kook, the Torah of Eretz Yisrael is fundamentally different in its method and scope.
Even a match decreed in Heaven must be built on earth. Every marriage requires avodah - work, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and joy in each other’s growth.
The point of a Jew's yearly restart is not to wallow in feelings of guilt but to convert inner accusation into constructive return and renewal.
As we begin the Torah with Bereishit, we are reminded by the Netziv that our forefathers' uprightness contrasts with the baseless hatred that led to the destruction of the Second Temple, urging us to embrace unity and respect.
Torah Judaism is not progressive liberalism.
The Majesty of Debate.
A nation that frees its murderers cannot protect its children. The lesson Hamas learned in past deals was not Israel's mercy. It was that Jewish blood has a price-and that price is Israel's willingness to empty its prisons.
A seemingly contradicttory account of the creation of vegetation and trees teaches a deep message about our relationship to G-d.
The opening word of the Torah, בְּרֵאשִׁית, “in the beginning”, already encoded all of what was to come, the potential of everything which will ever be.
There is no comfort in this teaching, no way to apply it without heartbreak, but it is filled with long term wisdom.
not only does Parashat BeReishit contain a reference to Eretz Yisrael, we will see below that it completely depends upon it.
If Man was created without the capacity for shame, why would it suddenly emerge as a result of prohibited eating?
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
When you're holding the four species, when you beat the aravot, do you feel this power?
As we have faced the unspeakable evil of some and the moral confusion of others, we are more fiercely committed than ever to be driven, guided, and uplifted by Hashem and His Torah.
The radical transition from the Yom Kippur solemnity to the Simchat Torah revelry can be dizzying, but it makes sense. Just as our joy at the hostages' return accompanied by sorrow at our losses.. There is a method to the madness.
Sukkot teaches us that just as Hashem encompassed and supernaturally protected B’nei Yisrael in the desert, the Midbar, we too must palpably sense that He surrounds us and intervenes in the world and in our lives.
A full life requires only one ingredient: the Torah.
Your life, even if it is incomplete, even if it is fragile, is still a gift. Notice the openings, the small moments of relief, the return of the hostages.They are part of Hashem’s care, a taste of the greater shalom to come.
This thirst is not intellectual curiosity but existential longing-a hunger that only communion with G-d can satisfy. Opinion.
As we conclude Sukkot 5786, we daven that the hostages all return safely, and we enter Shemini Atzeret hoping to reinforce and strengthen our achdut
Every time the people of Israel neglected the commandment of settling the Land, they paid heavy prices for it.
When the end approaches there will be many troubles growing in strength, a sign of Yisrael’s salvation.
'If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite' -William Blake.
The Sukkah is temporary just like our stay in this world, but it is a permanent fixture to deliver mitzvot to the next world.
Thoughts from Judaism on the peace plan.
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars connect the Torah readings and holidays tto Eretz Yisrael.
The magnitude of Hashem's voice is perceived in accordance with the spiritual intensity of the respective place and situation.
How to pronounce it and why.
Thoughts on this day, on hearing of an agreement.
Don’t we get a new chance each year? Isn’t that what the High Holy Days are all about—a chance to start again? A Yom Kippur sermon that is relevant every day of the year.
The late Former Chief Rabbi and head of Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva, an outstanding Torah luminary, was a kindly, warm man with twinkling eyes. But when it came to Eretz Yisrael, he burned with zeal and there were no compromises.
My love will be stronger than your defiance.
Rabbi Fischer z"l was buried next to his beloved Ellen on Erev Sukkot at the Etz Chayim Cemetery, and eloquently eulogized by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky and Rabbi Pesach Lerner alone, due to the proximity of the holiday. A friend sent added words of remembrance that include excerpts from his articles.
Why does this holiday of rejoicing immediately follow the High Holidays?
Based on the pattern expressed earlier of connecting the ending and beginning of the Torah, we notice that the last letter of the Torah, and the first letter of the Torah, combine to form the word “Le”v”--the Hebrew word for Heart! Undoubtedly, the Torah is expressing that the foundation that circulates lifeblood to the Jewish people is the Torah, the very essence of our existence.
A well loved Israeli children's song for Sukkot is "Shlomit builds a sukkah of peace." That is not what the sukkah is really about.
The aravah receives the pinnacle of honor among the Arba’at Haminim of Sukkot. What does that signify?
On Sukkot, we demonstrate that we are in love with life in this world; with our whole being, we immerse ourselves in the mitzvah
Just as Redemption preceded the world and is essential to it, so too did repentance.
The walls define the space, the sechach fills that space with holiness and warmth. And we need to respect the walls.
The four species which we are commanded to take for ourselves on the Festival of Sukkot are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, just as the Torah is indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, and the Jewish People are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael.
The lessons of the last two years remind us that although our enemies in every generation devise elaborate plans to destroy us, Hashem ensures our survival.
Our prayer to G-d during the Ten Days of Repentance is analyzed here in tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
Modern assumptions about G-d have proven to be premature.
The Song of Ha'azinu is a testament of Jewish Destiny.
Jewish history isn’t random happenstance; Israel’s reconstituted national sovereign independence in the Land of Israel within living memory is woven into the very fabric of G-d’s Creation; our continued sovereignty in Israel depends not on the prowess of our military, on economics, on politics, but on our connection with G-d, His Torah, and His Mitzvot.
The safety and continuity of our people depend on vigilance, action, and adherence to the eternal covenant. Learn from history to build a stronger, safer Jewish future.
"...With this background in mind, the Rambam’s comments in Chapt. 7 Halachah 1 [Laws of Repentance] are all the more remarkable. Rambam writes: “Since free choice is granted to all men as explained, a person should always strive to do Teshuvah."
It's never all or nothing. G-d is the ultimate loving parent. When he sees that a Jew makes even the slightest movement of Teshuva, regardless of how much he has left to go, G-d immediately embraces this movement.
On a day that we're purified before G-d (Vayikra 16:30) and thrust into the holy of holies, we must contemplate our overall duty of devotion, because “in the times of Mashiach, there is only One to rely on, our G-d in Heavens.”
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said, “If you believe that it is possible to make mistakes, then you can believe that it is also possible to make amends.”
What should be done when around the world Jewish communities are facing such challenging times?
It is the last night of the Ten Days of Repentance - use the time well.
In an interview on his 80th birthday, Carl Jung said, "But do you know who anticipated my entire psychology in the eighteenth century? The Hassidic Rabbi Ber from Mezritch, whom they called the Great Maggid. He was a most impressive man."
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
We must strive to uphold our commitment to the Torah and to Am Yisrael, even as we recognize our own shortcomings and moments of faltering.
The number of a verse, its numerology - all point to the past but also to today in this week's parasha.
The significance of hakhel goes beyond the reading itself.
The answer is found here: Why do I say the two magic words?
The Fast of Gedaliah, held to mark the tragic assassination of the governor of Judea after the destruction of the First Holy Temple, is today. But the way to renewal is open before us.
A leader’s job is to preserve authentic Judaism come what may.
Does your soul dance with love and passion since the holy days of Rosh Hashanah? If not, Yom Kippur is another chance.
The mitzvah of Hakhel: A national gathering with larger dimensions.
A positive look at the new year
These are the three tools which G-d gives us to transform His judgment from bad to good: repentance, prayer, and charity. Delving into that prayer and Mussaf.
The difference between the admonitions in two successive Torah readings teach an important lesson for the New Year.
Our tradition demands that we give greater priority to regular over irregular.
A selection of concepts concerning the Jewish New Year that begins tonight.
International law permits a state to wage war in order to defend itself. For generations the West has been steeped in antisemitism and the claim that we are committing “genocide” and “war crimes” is a distinctly antisemitic claim, while it is true that much of the Arab enemy's civilian population are full partners in the war against us.
During the prayers of Rosh Hashanah - in Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot - we are to concentrate on victory in the war. And it is obligatory to have that intention (kavanah) during the shofar blasts as the obligation to blow at a time of war.
Victorious we shall be! However, the essential condition that determines the degree of our victory is the spiritual level of the Jewish nation.
This year a cloak of whiteness covers the month of Elul, the entrance to the High Holidays. Is it the cloak of purity, or of numbness?
Acts of Chessed are especially important during the season of Rosh Hashanah, the holiday commemorating Creation, the greatest act of initial Chessed by God.
Returning and renewing the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and Yerushalayim b’simcha with Nachala, The Gush Katif Forum and Ateret Cohanim.
Resolve to give a nickel to tzedakah every morning, resolve to put on tefillin every day, resolve to light candles before every Shabbat. Even if your heart isn’t in it, it is a good beginning.
The relationship between Yehuda and Yosef is a microcosm of the relationship between the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel (which was founded and led by kings descending from Yosef).
The Talmud teaches us that repentance (teshuvah) transforms deliberate sins into either mistakes or merits. Based on the teachings of Reish Lakish, the Maharsha, and Rav Kook, we show how repentance from love elevates wrongdoing into a catalyst for growth, deepening love of good, hatred of evil, and spiritual transformation.
One Hebrew, one Arabic - two words that sound similar but are worlds apart.
Reliving he moment when Rav Soloveitchik's face became a living commentary on the verse his son was chanting, and a living embodiment of a plea to Hashem sung by legendary Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt.
After the mourning comes the rejoicing, after the exile comes the return home, after the destruction comes the renaissance. The Redemption is swiftly approaching, and Hashem brooks no delay in its implementation.
Saying: “May the year end with its curses, may the year begin with its blessings,” is not enough - we must also act and do,
The internet poses challenges, but we can overcome them as long as we don't blame the mouse...and that's a message for all of life's challenges.
A Torah-true life doesn’t allow for half-hearted commitments.
What did Moshe seek to convey by telling us that the Torah is “not in heaven” or “on the other side of the sea”?
Genuine happiness stems from discipline, which involves protecting the mind from negativity, focusing on meaningful engagement, and allowing spiritual practice to shape daily routines.
The most famous "seruvnik" - fighter for freedom for Soviet Jews - spent 11 years imprisoned in Siberia for his Zionism. He stayed true to his beliefs and his people. Lessons for today.
Thrust aside all accountings and return in haste to the Land of Hashem, the Land of Israel, our one and only home.
May you ascend, step by step, from one level of Teshuva to the next.
If one is forced to choose between death and violating one of these prohibitions — even in private — one should (generally) choose death. These prohibitions are that severe.
Just as we were entering into the Holy Land, stones had a position of prominence.
To withdraw into solitude, imagining that this leads to closeness with God, is foreign to the Torah’s vision.
The shofar of Zechariah sounds in a great voice in our days. This is a blast that began from the time the ingathering of exiles began. Also liberation from bondage of kingdoms. Also ascent to the Land. Also heroism. Also eradication of the enemies.
Before I Confess My Sins, I Must Confess My Greatness.
Chid”a explains, however, that a gift that is accepted by Hashem Himself is, in reality, a source of pride and joy for the giver; thus Hashem’s accepting of the offering serves as the greatest pleasure for the benefactor, and therefore they are considered a “taker” in this scenario.
We comprise many groups and individuals, yet we are one people; much like a body has many organs but is a single organism.
‘Do not think that these oaths are imposed on you alone- as if, but for this, you would not serve Hashem.'
Just as more than two-and-three-quarters-centuries ago Hassidism burst onto Jewish history changing it forever, so too a century-and-a-half ago political Zionism - that led to anti-Zionism - burst onto Jewish history changing it forever. Who will win?
It is to my religious brothers and sisters who are still stuck in the galut that I dedicate the following article.
An abundance of food is the effect - not the cause - of human flourishing.
