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That, I believe, is what the Sages meant when they said, “Call them not ‘your children’ but ‘your builders’” (Brachot 64a). People have to become builders if they are to grow from childhood to adulthood.

To a certain extent, all of mankind has internalized the idea that the creation of the seventh day gives meaning to work and creation, thus allowing everyone to enjoy rest and draw satisfaction from labor.

Hashem, who gives us life every second is constantly waiting to hear our appreciation for all He does for us.

The challenge that emerges from the way the Torah describes taking a census is that we must “lift people’s heads.” Never let them feel as if they are merely a number. Make those you meet feel important, especially the people whom others tend to take for granted.

In Cheshek Shlomo, Rabbi Pappenheim connects “eitan” to the biliteral root aleph-tav, which he further reduces to the monoliteral root tav. He explains that this root means connections and linking.

A leader who fails to work for change is not a leader. But a leader who attempts too much change in too short a time will fail.

This school opens up new safety concerns for residents, as well as spiritual concerns.

From Parshat Vayeishev to the end of Sefer Bereishit, we read the story of Joseph and his brothers. From the very beginning we are plunged into a drama of sibling rivalry that seems destined to end in tragedy.

After their short rest upstate, catching a few short hours of sleep, the father and son-in-law started the trek home.

The issue at hand isn’t that the Jews didn’t serve G-d. They did serve G-d, but the joy was lacking.

Not only does G-d strengthen those who are tired, He also energizes those who are completely exhausted.

We came to Israel for ruchniyus, for spiritual nourishment; physical comforts were irrelevant in our search for meaning.

The aspect of G-d that appears in the days of Moses and the Israelites is radically different, and it’s only because we are so used to the story that we find it hard to see how radical it was.

Following this explanation, it seems that when Yehudah approached Yosef, he came physically close to him (vayigash) - perhaps even in a threatening way.

Admittedly, the Talmud questions how free the Israelites actually were, and it uses an astonishing image.

Where was little Yair? We searched the area and asked others if they had seen him. No one had seen him go off on his own.

The moment when all we can say is gevalt. All we can do is cry out. That’s what the shofar was on Rosh Hashanah and will be at the end of Yom Kippur: The sound of our tears... The sound of a heart breaking. No more excuses. No more rationalizations and justifications. Ribbono Shel Olam, forgive us.

The exact details of that nocturnal levayah have long since faded from my memory. However, one poignant story shook me to the core of my being – and remains with me still.

The word midbar appears approximately 270 times in the Bible and is often attached to a proper place-name, like Midbar Sinai, Midbar Sin, Midbar Paran, Midbar Shur, Midbar Kadesh, Midbar Damesek, Midbar Ein-Gedi, and Midbar Yehuda.

Rabbeinu Yonah notes that the nefesh and ruach represent man’s instinct for thriving and surviving in a physical or material way.

Mordechai, a house painter in Jerusalem ("Mordechai's" name and profession have been changed to protect his identity), was self-employed for over 20 years. For the most part, business had been good. Lately, however, he was finding it difficult to make an adequate living.

It was a difficult battle. Many were seriously injured and some did not survive, but Tomer came out alive and unharmed.

The sages believed with great force that an agreement must be free to be binding. Yet we did not agree to be Jews. We were, most of us, born Jews. We were not there in Moses’ day when the agreement was made. We did not yet exist. How then can we be bound by the covenant?

Imagine a life beyond the one you currently experience – one with new senses and sensations, new colors added to your field of vision, and new sounds to your range of hearing. What if you had abilities that far surpassed anything you can imagine?

As the number of infected and deceased leaped up dramatically at the summer's end – together with a commensurate increase of protests, strikes and Covid-deniers – our government decreed the Tishrei lockdown.

Tzippy wandered around the Jerusalem mall, where she had planned to meet her daughter. She was not really in the mood for this excursion, but her daughter had insisted on it.

Another installment in the ongoing Rubashkin saga

Classical writing requires ink and paper, which are technically separable. In engraving, the material being engraved becomes the writing.

So here he was – a devout rabbi who had traveled far on a mission to save the life of a fellow Jew, and the wife of the only person who could change the accused man's sentence wanted to shake his hand.

Rabbi Hirsch ties “komer” to the emotional manipulation commonly employed by idolatrous priests.