Torah

Rabbi Dan Roth's very first day teaching in yeshiva did not at all go as planned. After learning in kollel for many years in some of the best yeshivos in Israel, Rabbi Roth got his first job teaching in a program for teens-at-risk. A short time before taking the job, he wrote a sefer on modern-day lessons gleaned from the teachings of Pirkei Avos. In the process of writing the book, he realized that he had a talent for making Torah concepts relevant and down-to-earth.

Rav Dov Lior is not only a Torah scholar; he is quintessential Jewish patriot, whose allegiance is pledged fully to God, Torah, the People and the Land. His courage in speaking the truth is undeniably tangible, without regard for any public controversy or dispute.

Despite the different backgrounds, we are united in our suffering and our mourning with the families of our people who defended our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice, or who were killed by Arab terrorists.

There isn’t much we know about his life, and what we do know seems to parallel many of the events in Avraham’s life.

While we can be hopeful and optimistic that people will express their naturally benevolent and compassionate sides, we also need powerful external systems in place to curb the also natural human tendency towards maleficence and cruelty.

Though the Yamim Noraim should also be a time when we draw close to and strengthen our love of Hashem, they begin with recognizing that He is judging us and determining our fate for the upcoming year.

Why was it so important for Moshe to enter the Land? Certainly he had accomplished so much during his lifetime for the Jewish people!

This magnificent project, the Talmudic Encyclopedia, gives students the breadth of the Torah…I read the entry on ‘chazaka’ ... this is a very difficult topic ... But if one reads this entry in the Talmudic Encyclopedia, it is so clear, it is so organized, all the intricate details, it’s astonishing.

It’s ironic that when we hear about Arab extremists attacking and killing Jewish settlers, there is quiet from these same left wingers.

No one lives in a vacuum. No, that doesn’t mean we didn’t get sucked up through a vacuum cleaner hose in the pre-Pesach cleaning frenzy, it means that whether we like it or not, our environment—the people and things around us—makes a big impact on who we are.

The greatness of man manifests itself in his inner contradiction, in his dialectical nature, in his being single and unrelated to anyone, as well as in his being thou-related and belonging to a community structure.

Standing in the morning on a cold winter day at the Cave of Machpelah, watching all of this unfold before me, I realized the profound and enormous responsibility a Jew has to his past in shaping his behavior in the future.

Jonah objected to God accepting repentance based on ulterior motives and likely for short duration.

There was no question that when Mrs. Cohen entered the room to meet the teacher she was hostile from the outset.

The Christian thinker Blaise Pascal was awed by the eternity of our people: “These people are not eminent solely by their antiquity, but are also singular by their duration, which has continued from their origin till now.

We should thus be on the lookout during the day for auspicious times to daven (i.e., right after performing a mitzvah).

Learn with your own Gemara so that you can write notes in it. Your Shas will become an important heirloom in the future if you do so.

Children can act in ways that are embarrassing, and guests can potentially generate uncomfortable conversations. The importance of keeping calm and kind, even in these moments, is essential.

What a sublime chumra to take on as Pesach approaches: to keep our simcha thermostat on the highest digit without surrendering to the natural inclination of “losing it” due to tension and fatigue, two all too natural elements that come along with these days.

In our story a couple of kids discover Chanukah within the walls of a gym.

Many argued that it would be downright dangerous not to attend as their absence might raise the monarch’s ire after all the trouble he went through to accommodate their needs.

The gift of life comes with the expectation that we use it properly.

In order for a person to properly confess a sin he must first feel that he is great. He must have an appreciation for himself and his self-worth.

While this story carries a painful and penetrating message, you might ask, “Rabbi Weiss, what are you advocating? That we shouldn’t dance on Simchas Torah?” Of course not!

For some reason, people seem to strongly believe that being alike improves communication. But is that really so?

After everything is analyzed, fear G-d and hearken to His mitzvos for that is all of man.” Walking with G-d is the ultimate achievement.

Hashem’s control over what happens in the world means that our lives and fate (even in this world) are fully in His hands.

When we donate our money, time or effort to Hashem, we naturally assume that we are giving Him something that is our own. In truth, we are merely giving Him what is (already) His.

We often choose to avoid confronting those who offend us. We are too hurt to speak it out, and doing so is uncomfortable. Unaddressed, though, our feelings fester and grow, and the hatred, distance, and demonization intensify.

Relationships are reciprocal. If we demonstrate to our children how to find something to respect in every person, they will reap the reward of being loved in turn by everyone around them.