The Five Spiritual Stages of the Creative Process
If the Torah does, in fact, require organization, why specifically divide it into five parts?
Maintaining Perspective
Who is the biggest victim of identity theft? Every one of us. One of the greatest tactics that our evil inclination employs is to confuse us about who we really are, and what defines us.
Is it proper for Jews around the world to set aside their usual tzedakah...
Of course, our monetary funds are limited. There are so many worthy causes and we cannot support them all. However, we have a responsibility, halachically and morally, to assist those in greatest need.
It’s Time to Talk About Redemption
Israel has brought Iran to its knees—a tiny nation systematically dismantling a regional superpower in days. Then came President Trump's decisive strike, erasing Iran’s...
Torn Techeiles
As long as the other side of the string remains intact, the tzitzis are still kosher. But you tore one of the expensive techeiles strands – these aren’t easy to replace.
Daf Yomi
Don’t Tread On Me
‘If One Consulted A Sage, He May Not Consult Another’
(Avodah Zara 7a)
A Nation Rising and Roaring Like a Lion
It is no coincidence that Israel courageously attacked Iran in the week the Torah portion tells us: “When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before your God and be delivered from your enemies.”
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Part I)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Month Math & Mitzvah Categories
Shelach by the numbers:
Total pesukim: 119, ranks 21st (of 54 sedras)
Total words: Ranks 27th
Mitzvot: 3, ranks 27th
The Remarkable Israeli Soldier: Holy Of Holies
This generation is truly remarkable. They do not flee from hardship. They strive for the elite units, the most dangerous positions, not because of ego or pride, but because they yearn to be protectors.
Refusing To Join The Army
The Rogatchover Gaon emphasizes specifically that Eretz Yisrael is only acquired through tribulation (Brachot 5), noting how inappropriate it is for someone to expect to gain the fruits of the labor of another – especially when somebody has to go to war to defend the land and somebody else expects to just sit at home and benefit from this.
Our Past and Future
The last piece addressed our relationships with peers – including spouses, friends, and family. In addition to those relationships, we should also have meaningful relationships with the generations that precede and follow our own.
A Summer Warning
Many marriages have been ruined by the well-meaning but poor advice of friends.
Pure Emunah
The aveirah of the meraglim was their own lack of faith, and their determination to weaken the faith of the Jewish nation.
What the Loss of Tefillin Can Teach Us About Techeiles Today
While a few, such as certain Amoraim and Natronoi Gaon, retained access, it became almost exclusive to non-Jewish royalty. The last known Jewish mention came from the Ramban in the 13th century, who noted that the Melech Goyim – possibly James I of Aragon – still wore it in his day.
The First Step
When the spies returned with a bunch of grapes so big it could only be carried by ten people and one fig which could hardly be carried by one person, instead of praising the land which grew such produce, they became concerned that the price of such opulence was too expensive and that they would not be able to afford to pay for it with mitzvot.
Mitzvah Counts: No Deed Left Behind
Everything, from quarks to consciousness, emanates from Divine will and intellect.
Moonlighting Spies
Think about this for a moment. They were just about to enter Eretz Yisrael and Eldad and Meidad's prophecy revealed that Moshe would die and Yehoshua would lead Bnei Yisrael into the land flowing with milk and honey. Did this phase Moshe? Not in the least.
Jewish Leadership: When Leaders Are Human
The Beis HaMikdash is the point where the spiritual heavens kiss the physical earth…this is where the infinite and spiritual meet the finite and physical.
Plan Ahead or Strike Out
It’s vital that a fielder and batter know how many outs there are. Whether a fielder will make a play to second or decide to hold the runner, and whether a runner will be running if there is a pop-up, depends on how many outs there are.
Kicked By a Passerby
I acknowledge that I shouldn’t have left the skateboard there, Simcha responded, but you should have looked where you were running. You sent the skateboard rolling!
Daf Yomi
Was She Really Married?
‘One Said Two… The Other Said Three…’
(Shevuos 48a)
Carrying the Light Forward
Some 200 years ago, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov wrote a statement that I find amazing: The time will come when being an upright and simple person will be as revolutionary as being the Baal Shem Tov.
Q & A: Washing Before A Meal
If one ate a quantity that would usually serve as the mainstay of a meal for other people, he blesses HaMotzi and recites Birkat HaMazon even if he was not satiated.
Is a Leader a Nursing Father?
The trouble is that if the leader is a parent, then the followers remain children. They are totally dependent on him. They do not develop skills of their own. They do not acquire a sense of responsibility or the self-confidence that comes from exercising it.
The Ner Tamid
If a person ploughs his field when it is time to plow, sows his seeds when it is time to sow, reaps his produce when it is time to reap , thrashes his grain when it is time to thrash and winnows the grain when it is time to winnow, when will he have time to learn Torah? (Berachos 35b).
Mann Power
We cannot totally control our sustenance – not the food we eat, nor the money we earn.