The Goal Of Olam Haba
We know from our great tzaddikim that it is beneficial and meaningful to stare at the lights of the menorah. One of the reasons is because it helps us to actualize in our minds the reality of the afterlife.
Hearing Within the Darkness
On a national scale, one day, we will see how centuries of tragedy were actually bringing us closer and closer to our ultimate destination, similarly, on a personal level, the same is true for each of us;
Living Spiritually
Yaakov Avinu wanted to see what kind of life Yosef was living, and he knew that if he saw Yosef face to face he would immediately know whether his spiritual being still lived.
For The Confused Of The Time
Rav Amiel invokes the verse from our haftara in a discussion of the nature of chosenness, which he understands as a unique burden placed upon the people of Israel. A set of responsibilities as opposed to privilege.
The Hasmoneans Of Our Generation
All they knew about her was that she was an older immigrant from the former Soviet Union. And then they discovered who she was: Ruth Alexandrovich, the famous prisoner of Zion.
Chanukah Thoughts From A Gadol
They sing a little, eat a little something, but fail to see what the holiday is teaching us: It's about the power of individuals and the power of faith.
A Heartfelt Chanukah
The Mishkan is the blueprint for the Jewish home.
I See A Menorah All Of Gold
There’s a temptation for earthly leaders to believe that events unfold as a result of their decisions, the exercise of their power.
Lighting Up The Night
Nowadays every home has its own menorah, some with one for every person in the household, to dispel the darkness of each individual – big or small, rich or poor, religious or not yet religious, highly intelligent or unlearned.
Mikeitz: Egypt’s Hebrew Viceroy
Did Yosef seek to transform Egypt into a civilization built on Hebrew values that would repair the world?
The Obfuscation Powers Of The Yetzer Hara
It is the job of the G-d-fearing person to combat the blinding attempts of the yetzer hara at every turn of our life.
TORAH SHORTS: Daily Seductions: Parshat Vayeshev
The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul. -David O. McKay
A Pile Of Shoes
This wanton disregard for the welfare of others is the epitome of chamas for which the world was already destroyed once and, the navi is warning, for which Israel will yet be exiled from her land.
On Sensitivity Training And Shoes
Why does the Torah find it necessary to tell us that they bought shoes with the money, ostensibly a trivial detail?
In Memory Of Eliyahu David Kay, z”l
Several days ago, Eliyahu told a friend that after years in the army, in yeshiva, and in agriculture, he felt that when working at the Kotel he was completely living his dream.
Vayeishev: Yosef & Yehuda
As internal conflict over the Hebrew clan's direction leads to tragic consequences for Yosef and Yehuda, each must discover his own messianic potential.
Guardian Angel
Our Sages tell us that if a person performs mitzvos and does good deeds he will merit to be escorted day and night by angels who guard him.
An Idea To Handle With Care
This Torah portion offers us a yearly reminder: We need to check if people in the public eye are everything they seem to be
Chanukah Power
When we are tired, do we still push ourselves to get up early and join a minyan, or do we succumb to temptation and say our prayers quickly at home before dashing off to work?
Vayishlach: Finally Becoming Israel
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.
TORAH SHORTS: Parshat Vayishlach: Your Money or Your Soul
Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming. -Matthew Arnold
Remember The Sons Of Edom
Esav is the last of all the nations to come into the world. He is a pretender. He uses his strength and deception to humiliate and to conquer others, but in the end he is just a bully.
Jealousy Rots – Envy Can Redeem
She said, were she not more righteous than me, she wouldn’t be privileged to have so many children.
Parshas Vayishlach: The Principle that Saved Yaakov’s Life
Every physical action affects the spiritual realm, creating cosmic ripple effects; The same is true of the physical world. Every action creates a corresponding reaction in the spiritual world. In essence, our physical world is like an upside-down puppet show
It’s Never Too Late To Find Out Who You Are
After 80 years, I finally know who I am and who my family members are, he said yesterday when he met his cousin in the city of Modi'in.
Vayetzei: Yaakov’s Struggle To Become Israel
Before becoming Israel, Yaakov had to first spend several years in exile learning to be more like Esav.
The Tapestry Of History
It was the enmity of the brothers to Yosef and their selling him as a slave, that was the primary cause for their descent to Egypt and being forced into slavery by the cruel Pharaoh.
The Many Gates Of Tears
Such is the power of tears that it has the ability to transform worlds and to create a new essence of blessing and abundance, no matter who is crying.
TORAH SHORTS: Powerful Vows: Parshat Vayetze
A vow is fixed and unalterable determination to do a thing, when such a determination is related to something noble which can only uplift the man who makes the resolve. -Mahatma Gandhi
Are You an ‘EARTH ANGEL’?
When we come through for others, when we ask how we can help, when we make the difference for them, we bring a piece of heaven down here to earth. Through our actions we build an actual stairway to heaven.