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One who fears that a task is beyond their ability, or too challenging for their comfort level, has racked up the odds against their excelling beyond their current state of inertia.

The Torah teaches us that when it comes to controversy and dispute even the small children can be harmed. That’s how deep and internal the evil and poison of the dispute can be.

Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah.

Avi tried to appeal to the bus driver once more but to no avail. He was determined to leave on time. But oddly enough he still hadn’t moved even though it was already several minutes past the allotted time.

This story is testimony to what happened to some Jewish children during and after the Holocaust. It should be told for one purpose: to remember what the Christian convents did to our children, namely how they kidnapped them and converted them to Christianity.

These stones are referred to in the Torah as avnei miluim – literally filler stones. This term used to identify these precious stones is extremely peculiar. If one had a D flawless stone set on an ornament, would it be referred to as the filler stone?

Rabbeinu Yonah notes that the nefesh and ruach represent man’s instinct for thriving and surviving in a physical or material way.

Freedom in the deepest sense, the freedom to do the right and the good, is not a given. We acquire it, or lose it, gradually.

A window to the world.

Sometimes a family member went through some harsh experience and only generations later do one of their grandchildren see the good that came out of their experience and hard work.

The Torah is telling us something very powerful. Never think of people as things. Never think of people as types: they are individuals. Never be content with creating systems: care also about relationships.

The ongoing saga of the yarmulke wearing Dr. Simcha Goldman and the US Air Force

I felt good to be able to help out like this and was grateful for the opportunity. If we could not be together for yuntif this year at least I could contribute in this way.

Every action, every hour of learning, chesed, brachos, tefillos were done for their father’s neshama to merit a closeness to the Kisei HaKavod. That was all that was left for them to do for him.

She spoke with a smile on her face, exuding a calm acceptance of her less-than-ideal circumstances.

“Pakad” primarily means remembering something or someone in order to deal with it, and the most basic way of dealing with something is to determine whether it’s actually present or not – hence, it means to count.

What could Brigadier General Samuel want to speak about in a lecture about Judaism?

Practically, I would like to suggest a positive custom regarding one’s conduct on the day of their birthday – and for those who wish, this can be in merit of the Rebbetzin.

The Baal Shem Tov was the founder and the visionary of chassidus, but the architect who built and spread the movement was Rabbi Dov Ber, the maggid of Mezeritch.

So we just turned a blind eye to the sorry state of our chairs and prayed that they would hold up in the meantime, and that no one would get hurt chas v'shalom.

The Jewish people mourned and wept, and then rose up and built the future. This is their unique strength and it came from Abraham, as we see in this week’s parsha.

The Seder is comprised of 15 steps, which is the same number of steps leading up to the Beis HaMikdash and the same number of "Shir Hama'alos" psalms – the songs of ascension.

Paula and her husband did far more than that – they went to visit her and managed to persuade her to allow them to apply for her to live in a Jewish home.

A person who is not careful to speak precisely… disregards the quality of his speech, as if he is grinding kemach.

Hearing the argument, Reb Chaim jumped out of his seat and ran to the front of the bus. He withdrew some cash from his pocket, gave it to the driver on behalf of the anonymous fellow, and then returned to his seat.

Jon was a very fine, smart boy with great potential. If he would stay on, he would grow tremendously in Torah and would most probably choose a religious way of life.

When I think of Queen Esther I usually feel sad for her. Everyone was saved and she had to stay with Achashverosh.

First, even had the president actually said something reprehensible, is it our job to reprimand him? Is that in the charter statements of these organizations?

Now other than it being very frustrating we must learn to contemplate on those times and see beyond the moment of distress to a higher force.

Norman Rosenbaum was the only one in his family up to making the trans-world trip and accepting the challenge.