Judaism

Mikketz represents the most sudden and radical transformation in the Torah. Joseph, in a single day, moves from zero to hero, from forgotten, languishing prisoner to viceroy of Egypt, the most powerful man in the land, in control of the nation’s economy.

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Sorrow And Joy 'Proclaim Your Troubles So Your Friends Pray For You' (Niddah 66a)

Should a person avoid the company of someone who constantly swears but is otherwise a decent fellow?

Is this the only question we should ask?

To lead meaningful Jewish lives, our personal journeys must be actively shaped by the events and populated by the personalities of our peoples’ past.

How unlikely that these kohanim, whose sole job was ministering to Hashem and to the spiritual needs of our people, would all of a sudden become masters of artillery.

Mechilah requires a willingness to forgo and release the other party of liability.

Ari Fuld uncovers and explores the real miracle and lessons of Chanukah.

Even according to the Rambam, if an exceptionally pious and G-d-fearing man sees that his generation is degenerate in a certain matter, he may sanctify G-d’s name and sacrifice himself even to avoid a minor mitzvah so that people learn from his example.

Leaders need to pay special attention to the law of unintended consequences.

Here are three crucial truths from Tanya, the fundamental text that Chabad chassidim study in its entirety every year, concluding it on the 19th of Kislev:

The Torah shows us the genius of Reuven’s strategy in stopping his brothers from committing murder.

The character trait that makes me personally identify with Judah – is his humanness and the fact that he makes mistakes in his lifetime but has the strength and ability to own up to his wrongdoings and start over.

The redemption and salvation are commensurate with the distress and challenges of galus.

Question: Why is there an extra month in the Jewish calendar every few years? And who decides whether a particular year should be a leap year or not? Name Withheld Toronto, Ontario

Not all appearances of “hashlachah” carry a negative connotation. Some connote throwing something deliberately to bring about certain results.

I know of no comparable passage in the Torah: three verses dedicated to an apparently trivial, eminently forgettable detail of someone having to ask directions from a stranger. Who was this unnamed man? And what conceivable message does the episode hold for future generations, for us?

Self-Evident? ‘What Uncleanness Is There In A Nasal Discharge?’ (Niddah 55b-56a)

Abe started taking out the money from all of his pockets and passed it onto the two Russian-accented guards, who were wearing pouches. The two men looked bewildered and incredulous.

While it may be that these people pose some level of a threat to us, the vast majority of attacks have not been carried out by White Nationalists.

We get caught up so easily on small matters of who’s right and wrong in an argument. We hold grudges for months, sometimes even years.

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Over the years, the World's Largest Menorah has been lit by New York City Mayors Abraham Beame, Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio – and Governors George Pataki and David Paterson, as well as other dignitaries.

Is it okay to enjoy Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” if one happens to hear them playing in a store or on the street?

Some authorities rule that the vast majority of keilim nowadays should be toveled without a berachah since they have never been in the private possession of a non-Jew.

If we look like an ancestor, smile like them, wrinkle our eyebrows in the way they did, we already carry on more of them than others

It is Judah's honesty that triggers Joseph's decision to reveal his identity.

The Rif offers a different rationale. He writes that the agent must share the extra items with the sender because the benefit came about through his money.

Soul Food ‘It Comes to Include a Fragrance’ (Niddah 52a)