Spousal Devotion
Why should someone who curses a parent be punished more severely than one who hits a parent?
A Cute Retelling Of The Purim Story
International Purim Torah--
Choosing The Golden Path
Have we all gone mad? Since when are tolerance and moderation bad qualities? When did following the middle road go out of style?
Lashon Tova
What has become clear from modern studies of the brain is that we can control our emotions and our thoughts.
Close For Comfort
What does it mean to be close to somebody else? One way is to be physically near them, but another, more spiritual way is to try to learn from them and emulate their good qualities. When the Torah instructs us to make ourselves close to, or cleave to Hashem, it doesn’t mean by trying to get to heaven in a rocket ship! Rather it means to think about Hashem and emulate His qualities of kindness, patience, fairness, etc. That is the real measure of how close a person is to G-d.
The Coronavirus (Part V)
How do we defeat a yetzer hara that has the power to make us believe that aveiros are really missions of righteousness?
Tzitzit And Color Psychology
At its core techelet reminds us of our mission in this world, which is to serve G-d by doing mitzvot and avoiding sinning.
A Peel Without Its Fruit
The Hafla’ah writes that since we want our prayers to rise to the heavens, they must be infused with a ruach, a spirit that causes them to ascend to Hashem’s Throne of Glory.
Food For Thought
When we are tired and hungry, we are anxious to revive and sustain ourselves. This anxiety can cause us to lose sight of our life’s bigger picture and purpose, and eat like animals rather than human beings.
The Meaning Of Friendship
You cannot choose a friend just because you like him/her. There must be an interrelationship – a give and take – between the two parties.
Who Provoked Iran?
Why would Hashem cause Iran to pick a fight with the most powerful nation the world has ever known?
Concern For One Another
This amount, when placed into perspective in relation to the entire number of those that were in the desert, represented only one percent of the entire community.
Each Of Us Matters
Part of what makes each of us so important is that we are all unique... Hashem created us this way because we each have unique missions in this world.
Tzitzis: A Deeper Look
Why is the tzitzis reminder on our clothing? How does it remind us that there are 613 mitzvos?
The Role Of Parents In The Educational Process
Though I felt extreme empathy for the child, I attempted to explain to the parent that the responsibility would be too great and in addition it would greatly deprive from the experience of the other children in the class.
The Jewish People: One Person With One Heart
There is no question that the congregation of Israel at the time of the giving of the Torah was comprised of divergent views, and that the people who were transgressors and who later would be singled out as sinners were present as well.
How Grit Builds Greatness
The better self-awareness we have, the better our relationship with others will be, and the stronger connection we will have to G-d.
“Why Is My Child Not Being Accepted?”
“Isn’t there an obligation upon the Jewish community to accept a day school graduate because of the mere fact that he is a product of a Jewish Hebrew day school?”
My Heart Is Broken!
Israel’s mourning is not just for Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri – it is for every victim of terror, every life that was cut short in the name of hate and destruction.
An Alef-Bet Mnemonic & A Devarim Breakdown
The whole Book of Devarim takes place in one location – Arvot Moav – over just 37 days.
Q & A: Hachana (Part I)
QUESTION: Is it halachically permissible to pack on the Sabbath or Yom Tov for a trip to be taken on the next day?Moishe HalberstamBrooklyn, NY
We Are All Important
The very fact that the Haggadah that we recite on Pesach speaks to four distinctive personalities is proof that our Sages realized that people are different and they articulate their belief in G-d in many ways.
Parshas Miketz: The Death Of A Dream
Yosef, in interpreting the first set of dreams, performed in a manner that was clearly miraculous to all.
Passing The Marshmallow Test
The snake’s incitement and the aesthetic enticement of the fruit led to Chava’s and then to Adam’s self-control failure.
Earning Our Lives
We are meant to focus our lives and attention on meaningful things. Though we often become distracted, we should never direct our attention to meaninglessness.
Doing More Than We Say
Rashbag’s conclusion reminds us of the ancient saying quoted by the Gemara: If one word is worth a selah coin, (then) being quiet is worth two (Megillah 18a).
Pray Like A Mentch
When we hear of school bus tragedies, we should pray for the safety of our children. When we hear of someone suffering from Covid-19 or another dreaded disease, we should pray for health. When we see flashing lights on the highway, we should pray for safe travels.
The Coronavirus (Part VI)
I started keeping such a diary recently and found doing so truly fascinating.
Who Are You?
If G-d graces you with a particular strength, for example wealth, physical strength, wisdom, memory, a pleasant voice, and the like, offer it to G-d, utilizing it for the purposes of holiness.
Portion Control
It will be like the manna, which our Sages tell us was able to provide adequate nutrition and satiation despite its small size.