Columns

Tissues Of Delusion

In Print Ita Yankovich

What chutzpah?! I thought to myself. I felt like a child being punished for taking a cookie out of the cookie jar.

The Ultimate (Heartfelt) Improbable Tale

In Print Rabbi Hanoch Teller

According to the information that he was given, his good friend from Auschwitz, Yozo Weiss, was now a taxi driver in Tel Aviv! Lonely Latzi just had to find Yozo.

So Much Is Beyond Our Understanding

In Print Naomi Brudner

There weren't many people out that night because of the weather but Rabbi Palach continued to approach whoever he saw and asked the same question, offering the same warm invitation to come hear a Torah class.

My Eyes Shed A Tear

Columns Rabbi Mordechai Weiss

The noise was deafening! I had to find my way to the front of the shul to hear the reading of the Torah, and even then, it was still hard to hear every word. The Mussaf service was no better.

The Old Man And The See

In Print Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein

“Sav” is related to the Hebrew word “seivah,” and both these words form the basis of “saba,” which means “old man” or “grandfather.”

Family

Columns Michal Popper

We each come from different families and different countries, and yet we are all part of the same family of Israel. This is why it's written that Kol Yisrael arevim ze la'ze – all the Nation of Israel are accountable, and responsible one for the other.

Filling The Void: The Spiritual Joy Of Wasting Words (Part I)

In Print Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

We know the infinite value of time and the omni-significance of each of our lives, and yet, there is an immensely powerful human drive to do absolutely nothing.

From Elimelech to Elimelech

Names and Numen Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein

I am anticipating a deluge of angry letters from people listing off important persons named Elimelech that I’ve ignored, but the truth remains that despite the continued use of that personal name since Biblical times, Elimelech was always a fairly rare name until the times of the Noam Elimelech.

The Year Of Shemittah

Columns Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman

When one “comes into a land” and desires to establish his way of life, which involves “working the soil,” it is necessary to bear in mind that the first and foremost, as an idea and as a goal, is “Sabbath unto G-d”; not the “earthly” and material, but the spiritual and sacred.

The Challenges Of Getting Older

Columns Rabbi Mordechai Weiss

One of the central themes in Jewish thought regarding aging is the concept of generational continuity. The Torah often emphasizes the importance of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next.

My Father

In Print Ita Schneider

Several minutes after entering the hospital room, my father gave a tremor that sent them running for help from the nurse's station. The nurse called the doctor. The doctor told them that my father's systems were closing down, hinting that perhaps the respirator plug should already be pulled.

The Pursuit Of Meaning

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l

From the perspective of eternity we may sometimes be overwhelmed by a sense of our own insignificance. We are no more than a speck of dust on the surface of infinity. Yet we are here because G-d wanted us to be, because there is a task He wants us to perform. The search for meaning is the quest for this task.

A Message From The Spirit World, Asking For A Cup Of Coffee?

Lessons In Emunah Beth Sarafraz

I was aware he didn’t want me to “imagine” making coffee in a forced new dream.

Big Bear Memories

Lessons In Emunah Naama Klein

We were fortunate enough to have our brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their children fly out from the east coast and join us for one such summer expedition. And it subsequently turned out to be by far the most memorable of all.

Yearning For Connection: The Secret Of The Mouth

In Print Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

What happens when you don’t eat? You become faint. What happens if you continue without food? You will pass out. And if you still don’t eat, your soul will leave your body and you will die. Eating maintains the connection between your soul and your body; it is what keeps you alive.