Judaism

Unfortunately today we find ourselves embroiled in a milchemet mitzvah, a national security situation which threatens our very existence and demands everyone’s participation.

To become fully alive a person must have goals and aims that transcend himself. -Herbert A. Otto

In the end Joseph and his brothers had to live through real trauma before they were able to recognize one another’s humanity, and much of the rest of their story – the longest single narrative in the Torah – is about just that.

The potency of a mitzvah lies in the individual’s optimal and enthusiastic execution of the mitzvah with all the proper kavanos (intentions), including mastery of the laws pertaining to this particular mitzvah, and consummating the mitzvah to fulfill the will of Hashem.

Do "clothes make the woman"?

Before one prays, one must prepare for the experience. There must be a meditative time in which the individual focuses on the significance of the act that he is about to perform.

One excellent way to combat cognitive bias in relationship communication is to constantly work on not jumping to conclusions. No matter what we think we hear, or what we believe we know, we should be careful to ask for clarification before reacting.

The prophet Zecharia foretells of the Messianic Era – which will occur long after the Canaanites had ceased to exist as a nation – when there will no longer be any c’naani in the Holy Temple (Zecharia 14:21).

The rules of the dreidel game require each player to contribute some coins to a central fund, the proceeds of which are used to pay out the winners.

In essence the manner that we relate to tragic events is by empathizing with those who are affected as if it is us who are personally affected. This is called carrying the yoke of others upon ourselves.

We often choose to avoid confronting those who offend us. We are too hurt to speak it out, and doing so is uncomfortable. Unaddressed, though, our feelings fester and grow, and the hatred, distance, and demonization intensify.

To be honest there were many Shabbos mornings when I fell back to sleep without saying Kerias Shema, but it made a deep impression on me. Now, years later, I still try to be particular to say Shema before the earlier time.

How do we understand and perceive Hashem? Is Hashem within time and space, limited to this world alone, as Pantheists believe? Or is Hashem completely transcendent, beyond time, space, and this physical world, as many of the ancient philosophers believed?

As we read the book of Bereshit week after week, we see how to the naked eye it seems like things just got worse from chapter to chapter. Yet all the harsh events that befall the Jewish people, especially Joseph, we're all sent forth just to save Jacob and his family, and later the entire Jewish people.

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From the outset, there was seething sibling rivalry that eventually erupted explosively. The sons of Leah regarded the sons of the maidservants Zilpah and Bilhah with disdain, and they hated Yosef.

During the night, there was a thunderstorm. Strong winds broke a large branch off a tree nearby. The branch fell on Ari’s car, damaging it significantly and breaking a car seat.

A Matter Of Anticipation ‘A Stone Flew From His Hand, And Another Put Out His Head from A Window …’ (Bava Kamma 33a)

Rashi brings from Chaza"l that the "Nachala" of Yaakov, as opposed to Avraham, is limitless.

We know that we are entering the final stages of ikvesa d’Meshicha – the footsteps of Mashiach. How long it will last we cannot know.

Question: I read your Q&A column, “Kaddish Elevates,” with great interest. However, I feel that there is something you left out: the appropriate phrases or pauses where we are to respond “Amen.” I have not seen why we don’t answer “Amen” after the phrase in Kaddish – Be’alma di’vera chir’utei – In the world He created according to His will.” Is this not one of the greatest praises – that Hashem gave us a world with such benefit that we at times don't understand that benefit. Are we not to acknowledge Hashem's greatness at all times irrespective of outcome? Menachem Via e-mail

We were so worried about those terrorists, but when we returned to the place that we had seen them, no one was in sight. That was miracle number one.

Rabbis reported that people are lighting Shabbat candles, purchasing and donning tefillin – some for the first time – saying the Shema prayer daily, and baking challah.

The Torah is ambiguous regarding who, exactly, is right in this story. Did, indeed, the brothers go too far? Did Yaakov face a battle shortly thereafter, as one midrash indicates? Were they both right on some level?

As Yaakov returns back home to his land, he and his family are met with new challenges that ultimately transform them into the nation of Israel.

The Yaros Devash teaches us that Yerushalayim is called Kisei Hashem, the Throne of Hashem.

A report issued after Protective Edge by high-level military officials, including top generals from the U.S. and Europe, found that Israel’s conduct in the 2014 Gaza Conflict met and in some respects exceeded the highest standards we set for our own nations’ militaries.

One might wonder, why is it all worth it? Why work to attain a higher intellectual or spiritual level if it incurs greater liability.

It is one thing to commit a crime, another to witness someone committing a crime and failing to prevent it. We might hold a bystander guilty, but not in the same degree.

“Flattery is all right if you don't inhale.” -Adlai E. Stevenson