School of Hard Knocks
My son-in-law's parents live close by, so that was their first stop. But over a half-hour spent knocking with all their might yielded nothing but aching knuckles.
Social Capital And Fallen Donkeys
Never be in too much of a rush to stop and come to the aid of someone in need of help. Rarely, if ever, will you better invest your time. It may take a moment but its effect may last a lifetime
A Life Lesson
If one were to make a vow or promise to Hashem, it is something that must be fulfilled.
The Rubashkin Saga – XVI
Another installment in the ongoing Rubashkin saga
A Perfect Wedding Match
Rav Lieberman called the simcha hall to cancel their booking, but it wasn’t so simple to find another date at a suitable venue.
What Does L’Dovid Have To Do With Elul?
We recite a kapitel whose main focus stresses that Hashem is our strength and that He will protect us from our enemies.
To Lead Is To Serve
If having a king is a good thing, why does God say that it means that the people are rejecting Him? If it is a bad thing, why does God tell Samuel to give the people what they want even if it is not what God would wish them to want?
The Month Of Elul
And yet G-d himself presents himself, so to speak, on a very simple level so that anyone can just go up to him and talk.
On Not Being A Victim
Remarkably, despite the exiles and horrors of history, Jews did not see themselves as victims. This is the message Moses imparts throughout sefer Devarim: Never define yourself as a victim
Ariel And Hatzolah
The tremendous blessing of Hatzolah became even more clear when the paramedic rescue services showed up at the house forty-five minutes after Hatzolah had already left!
How To Love Hashem
Love is a contagious mitzvah: When others see someone whose life is motivated by the love of G‑d, they unfold their wings to fly along with him or her.
Ultimate Experience
Finding appropriate company for Shabbos was a challenge of its own. No longer a youngster, my mother did not enjoy coming to our homes and she did not appreciate large families with many children coming to hers.
Greatness And Humility
Greatness is humility. This idea – counter-intuitive, unexpected, life-changing – is one of the great contributions of the Torah to Western civilization and found in the words of Moses in this week's sedra
Special People
I try to open up the eyes of the people around me to have more sensitivity and awareness regarding all people who were not blessed with optimal health.
Long-Awaited Shidduchim
As the news spread, more and more people joined the family in fervent prayer. The gates of heaven received all of the prayers for David, and he eventually came out of the coma.
Post-Tisha B’Av Thoughts
We are not on the level to sit back and have Hashem fight our battles for us; rather, we need a human army to go out and fight physical wars so that Hashem can make us victorious.
Making Love Last
A key to help unlock the entire project outlined by Moses in Sefer Devarim, the final book of the Torah, from a most unlikely source...
Tu B’Av, Holiday Of Love
In earlier times, it was the custom already from Tu B'Av to use as one's greeting "Ketiva vachatima tova,” the same blessing that we use today during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashana.
Listening to the Prophetic Voice: Tisha b’Av 5778
Wishing you a Tzom kal (an easy fast)
The Aveilus Of Tisha B’Av
Those who instituted our minhag believed that the main focus of the aveilus and the tefillah of Nachem is on the destruction of Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash.
Soul To Soul
During this period of time, Shai often drove to Lubavitch Headquarters in London to hear the Rebbe’s sichot. He was hooked.
The Effective Critic
The great leaders of Israel were the great defenders of Israel, people who saw the good within the not-yet-good. That is why they were listened to when they urged people to change and grow. THat is how it was in the time of Moses; that is how it remains today
We Will One Day Rebuild The Holy Temple
Till this day, many Jewish homes continue to observe the tradition of maintaining a half-meter square patch of wall scraped clean of plaster as one enters the house. For how can we complete our houses when G-d's house lays in ruins?
The Rubashkin Saga – XV
Another installment in the ongoing Rubashkin saga
Cutting-Edge Clarity
What disappointment! How he longed for the semi-comfort of being in his childhood surroundings. If he could not have his parents back, at least he could be in familiar territory.
Who Am I?
We all try to go on the right path, we all try to set goals and go ahead and achieve them.
Miles To Go Before I Sleep
The Torah is not myth but anti-myth, a deliberate insistence on removing the magical elements from the story and focusing relentlessly on the human drama
The Search for God: The Greatness and the Present Setback of Halachic Living
The duty of halachic authorities is to solve difficult problems and make Jewish life as easy as possible by advocating lenient rulings. But never at the expense of making life boring. It is their duty to make life enjoyable and uplifting. But that can only come about by making people to live in amazement and wonder.
Supreme Court Sides With God
Our moral compass is based on what God informed us is right and wrong.
A Window Of Opportunity
Sophie eagerly anticipated her meanderings through the ancient streets of the Old City of Jerusalem where her ancestors had walked thousands of years ago.