Our National Weapon (Part V)
The smart davener knows that Hashem appreciates it when we approach Him with humility rather than with an attitude of "It's coming to me and I surely deserve it."
When Is Enough…Enough?
It’s time for all our people to stop using these rationalizations because any thinking Jew knows in their heart of hearts that every Jew should be in Israel, and these excuses have no basis. Our grandparents would have given everything that they own to have the opportunity that we have today to make aliyah and live in Israel.
Avot 1:13 – Mastery Orientation
When you work towards a learning goal, are you motivated for better grades, looking smarter, outperforming others?
G-d’s Faith In Man
Angels emanate from and inhabit pure spiritual worlds above. G-d’s presence and their mission are both clear to them.
Portraying Our Sages As Fallible
At times our sages justify King David’s behavior and posit that anyone who believes that King David sinned is wrong. Such a theory obviously goes against the simple meaning of the text.
Kosher And Non-Kosher Eggs
Generally speaking, any food produced by a non-kosher animal is non-kosher. Thus, the egg of a non-kosher bird is not kosher but the egg of a kosher bird, such as a chicken, is kosher. If one comes across an egg and does not know which bird laid it, how does one tell a non-kosher egg from a kosher egg?
‘Be Holy’ – What Does That Mean?
And that may be why only we Jews who are commanded to be holy also have commands that seek to purify our hears and minds.
Sleep Tight
...the Torah is telling us that Og was so big and strong even as a baby that he needed a metal crib to contain him; otherwise he would have broken his bed.
Are You Really ‘With Me’?
If G-d told Balaam not to go with Balak’s men, why did He seemingly “change His mind” and later allow him to go?
Building Good Fences
Silence has a role in the learning process that leads to wisdom, and is also a signal that one has obtained wisdom.
The Payoff Of Prioritizing Torah
Commentaries are bothered by two main questions. First, what is the symbolism of Torah being referred to as a yoke? Second, what exactly is the mechanism behind what seems to be guaranteed removal of these other responsibilities?
You’re Not A Grasshopper
It’s not entirely clear within the narrative what the spies did wrong. They were asked to scout the land and report back, and that’s what they did.
Q & A: Women Counting Sefirat Haomer
QUESTION: In my wife's family, women count Sefirat Haomer. This is something that I have not seen in my own family, although they are quite observant. As a newly married couple, we are quite confused.Please discuss this matter and explain.No name pleaseToronto, Ontario
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 Not to Have Too Much Integrity on Yom Kippur
Jonah objected to God accepting repentance based on ulterior motives and likely for short duration.
The Megillah: How-To Manual on Defeating Anti-Semites
Israel must demonstrate confidence in ourselves and an iron determination to defy our antagonists. Mordechai teaches that it is not through appeasement that one achieves peace but rather through strength, self-assurance and unequivocally firm resistance to tyranny and injustice.
Balancing Values
Wisdom is a broad term that can have numerous interpretations, including knowledge of Torah (Chazon Ish), spiritual ability to fulfill the Divine will (Rabbeinu Yonah), or a social intelligence wisdom (Sforno). Regardless of definition, wisdom needs the supplemental value of fear of G-d.
How To Be More Than The Average Joe
Shouldn’t Shavuot’s commemoration of Matan Torah mandate a spiritual celebration?
Olam Hafuch Ra’iti! – I Saw An Upside-Down World!
It is the notion that the Arabs, and in turn Hamas, cannot understand or accept that He hit me back. They cannot acknowledge the fact that the Israeli army is so powerful and is not subservient to them and that now they must recognize its superiority.
As Rockets Rain Down On Our Brothers And Sisters (Part II)
The Gemara (Meseches Megillah) wonders why Esther invited Haman to a private feast. How could she have sat at a private meal with such a monster?
The Director Behind the Scenes
Hashem’s control over what happens in the world means that our lives and fate (even in this world) are fully in His hands.
Learn The Entire Torah – Learn Rambam
It is difficult for anyone to presume to know the reason behind the Rebbe’s campaign; it is not for us to decide why the Rebbe did what he did.
Chumrot Are A Cause For Concern
Rabbi Isaac Bernstein of blessed memory, in his tapes on Chumash, states that chumrahs have had only a deleterious effect upon our people – generating only dissension and arguments, feelings of oneupsmanship and elitism, causing separation and fragmentation between one Jew and the next.
When Jewish Women Suddenly Find Time
All year long, women seemingly have no time to breathe – you can’t even insert a needle into their jam-packed schedules – but after Purim, suddenly there is time to tackle the massive project called Pesach. How does one understand it?
Forms Of Forgiveness
“Selichah” also refers to a type of liturgical poem, or piyut, characterized by begging for forgiveness.
A Lifetime Guarantee
I rarely take the extended warranty when purchasing new electronics. I figure that this warranty must not be worth much if they feel the need to pressure me into buying it. They must know what I have learned the hard way: there is no such thing as a real guarantee. In my more naive days, I purchased this "peace of mind," as they call it, but never cashed in. Usually, by the time the item broke, I had forgotten about the extended warranty and purchased a replacement.
Child Raising
Imagine Amram and Yocheved, the parents of Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon Hakohen. We know who they were, but what do we know of their child-raising techniques? What was the central pillar of their home that helped foster these two spiritual giants?
Why We Should Love Work
The Torah emphasizes the importance of our work in its very first parshah, Bereishit. The world’s vegetation was ready to sprout, but did not because there was no man to work the ground.
Don’t Daven At Home (Part Six of a Series)
The first verse, however, concerns someone who davens with a minyan. Such a person is assured that his prayers will be heard by Hashem any time of year.
The Coronavirus (Part VI)
I started keeping such a diary recently and found doing so truly fascinating.