Judaism

Experiences that seem negative can do more than just protect. They often enrich.

Hashem always rewards those who think about and care for others.

We must never fight falsehood with more falsehood or misinformation; our dedication to the truth is our most powerful weapon in the face of this onslaught.

Between parents and children, he said, there are often tensions. Parents worry about their children. Children sometimes rebel against their parents. The relationship is not always smooth. Not so with grandchildren.

Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains. -Thomas Jefferson

Shana means that which is cyclical and repetitive, representing mindless ritual. However, shana also has another distinct meaning: to learn and to change (shinui, l’shanos). This is because when you add chiddush to shana, i.e., when you infuse newness into the circle, you create spiraling growth.

Among the many terrible decrees enacted against the Jews during the reign of Nikolai I was the forceful conscription of young Jewish children into the Russian army, its overriding aim being to destroy Jewish life.

When we say this blessing hoping for salvation, we should reflect that so many people today are in financial distress because we don’t have the shulchan that brought financial stability to Klal Yisrael.

Belief in Hashem does not exonerate one from personal responsibility. It does not give one license to say, ‘well this is what was supposed to happen, and it’s not my fault.’ In fact, the very opposite is true.

The Mishna Berurah (Orach Chaim 14:4) rules that ideally a minor may not tie tzitzit for an adult, as tzitzit must be tied with express intent for the sake of the mitzvah and a minor may not have the proper intent.

Our Sages tell us that when Hashem creates something or someone, at the same time He creates their opposite.

Believe it or not, the main purpose of the neshama yeteira is to facilitate the consumption of the many gastronomic treats and pleasures that are characteristic of Shabbat without being harmed by the excessive intake.

There is some merit to the argument that New Year’s Eve is no longer a religious holiday, despite its pagan and Gentile origins.

All this war is to ensure our safety in the land of Israel. This power that our soldiers possess, is the power that Yaakov passed on to his children when he did not reveal the future.

.

Always ready to be ‘dan le’kav zechus’ she pinned a note on the stroller saying I’m sure you didn’t mean to destroy my stroller – if you’d like to apologize this is my phone number… For days she waited for the phone call that never came.

But I’m in possession of the money, Mr. Simon insisted, and your document doesn’t indicate anything.

Who Permitted Eating Turkey? ‘Geese And Wild Geese Are Forbidden Together’ (Bava Kamma 55a)

Our shul recently hosted Bret Stephens, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and foreign affairs expert.  In his talk, he referenced a column he wrote for...

Yaacov's form of communication with Hashem, was unique.

Question: Should we be reciting the prayer for the welfare of the government? Is it a hefsek during the tefillah, or is it important during wartime? Martin Kahn Via email

The technician was certain that the Rabbi intended to upbraid him personally for having caused him discomfort and for attempting to continue against his will. Rav Moshe, however, had something else in mind.

The Rebbe stressed that the court’s ruling that the library belongs to Chassidei Chabad was a reflection of the Heavenly court’s decision that the Rebbe’s chassidim were doing what was required of them.

During difficult times, we should remind ourselves that everything, including suffering, emanates from Hashem. Though Hashem is the ultimate good and wants the best for us, we know that grief also comes from Him: A person does not stub his toe below unless it was declared above (Chullin 7b).

The Hebrew word chamor stems from the root, chomer, which means material matter. The Egyptian is a slave to his desires and thus servitude and chomer are metaphysically equivalent.

Did Yosef use the famine to bring his family down to Egypt in hopes of implementing an alternative approach to the Hebrew mission in the Diaspora?

While there is an important place for reflecting about past mistakes, that is only with regards to preparing ourselves to do better in the future.

Our sages tell us that there is no calamity that befalls the Jewish people that does not carry within it the sin of the Golden Calf. So devastating was this incident that it was never forgotten in all the succeeding persecutions of the Jewish people.

In Judaism kadosh, holy, means separation. To sanctify is to separate. Why? Because when we separate, we create order. We defeat chaos. We give everything and everyone their space.

Notwithstanding the fact that this was a family who was not yet Torah-observant, they could not help but recognize ein od milvado – there is none other than G-d.