On Not Being A Victim
Remarkably, despite the exiles and horrors of history, Jews did not see themselves as victims. This is the message Moses imparts throughout sefer Devarim: Never define yourself as a victim
Faith And Friendship
In this week’s parsha, Moshe reaches his lowest ebb. What is striking is the depth of Moses’ despair, the candor with which he expresses it, and the blazing honesty of the Torah in telling us this story.
The Meanings Of Shema
It would be reasonable to assume that a language that contains the verb “to command” must also contain the verb “to obey.” The one implies the other, just as the concept of a question implies the possibility of an answer. We would, however, be wrong. There are 613 commandments in the Torah, but there is no word in biblical Hebrew that means “to obey.” When Hebrew was revived as a language of everyday speech in the nineteenth century, a word, letsayet, had to be borrowed from Aramaic. Until then there was no Hebrew word for “to obey.”
The ‘Perfect’ D’var Torah
Several years ago, my wife and I were in Boro Park for a wedding. Early the next morning, we received news from Yerushalayim that we had a new grandson.
Once A Jew, Always A Jew? Some Interesting Teshuvos After the Spanish Inquisition
Very often, we take our status as members of the chosen nation for granted. We should remember, though, that we can lose that status by our actions. Born a Jew, always a Jew – but not necessarily Jewish.
Israel’s Four Elements: Four Holy Cities: Living In The Heart Of The World
While studying the anatomy of the heart in Machon Biotechnology in Israel, I had some thoughts: The four holiest cities in Israel - Jerusalem (fire/aish),Tzfat (wind/ruach), Chevron (earth/adamah), and Tverya (water/mayim) - seem to correspond to the four chambers of the heart.
How ‘Shema Yisrael’ Saved The Jewish Children
This story is testimony to what happened to some Jewish children during and after the Holocaust. It should be told for one purpose: to remember what the Christian convents did to our children, namely how they kidnapped them and converted them to Christianity.
The Amazing Power Of Tehillim
Rachel was thrown by the sight and began to caringly think whom this person might be.
The Real Shiurim – They’re Smaller Than You Think
Many believe you need to eat large quantities of matzah and drink a lot of wine to fulfill your chiuv. The truth is much more pleasant than that.
The Covenants Of Fate And Destiny
Sadly, we're no longer an edah; We've fissured and fractured: Orthodox & Reform; religious & secular
The Connection Between Purim And Pesach
What do hamentaschen and matzahs have in common? What connection could there be between Pharaoh and Haman, Moses and Mordecai, Miriam and Esther?
Why Was the Beis Hamikdash Destroyed?
The pasuk in the beginning of Parshas Eikev says that when we will follow the laws of the Torah, Hashem will guard the bris.
The Many Names Of Moshe Rabbeinu
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz (1902-1979) explains that each of Moses’ ten names reflects a different facet of his personality and teaches us something different about his greatness.
The Five Stages of Faith
It is always important to reinforce our commitment to the journey of faith. There is no greater act of emunah than living a spiritual, holistic life in an often chaotic, fragmented world.
Hakaras Hatov Can Save Lives
And so it was that both those women whose lives had been saved in Yerushalayim only about a month earlier, were now in a Manhattan hospital with the woman who inadvertently had helped save their lives.
Was Jacob Really An Ish Tam?
What kind of man was Jacob? This is the question that cries out to us in episode after episode of his life.
The Non-Jewish Baruch Hashem
Good things come in "3s"
The Two Festivals Of Sukkot
Sukkot celebrates the dual nature of Jewish faith: the universality of G-d and the particularity of Jewish existence.
Yom Kippur in a Nutshell
How does Yom Kippur help us focus on the future and on making a change?
The Uniqueness Of Sukkot
It is almost as if Sukkot were two festivals, not one. It is. Although all the festivals are listed together, they in fact represent two quite different cycles.
The Power Of Gratitude
The more positive emotions – such as contentment, gratitude, happiness, love and hope – they expressed in their autobiographical notes, the more likely they were to be alive and well 60 years later.
Can You Really Become as Great as Moshe Rabbeinu?
The Rambam says something absolutely shocking. He claims that everyone is capable of becoming a tzaddik like Moshe Rabbeinu. How is this possible? Not all of us are able to become leaders, let alone become the greatest leader in human history. So what does the Rambam mean?
The Quest To Find The Schindler Of Kristallnacht
My initial search for heroes of Kristallnacht came up empty. Surely there must have been upright Germans who shielded their Jewish friends and neighbors from the angry mobs seeking them out. Sadly, my detailed research yielded only a pitiful, nameless few.
Making Sense Of The Sin Offering
We think of a sin as something we did intentionally, yielding to temptation perhaps, or in a moment of rebellion. That is what Jewish law calls b’zadon in biblical Hebrew or b’mezid in rabbinic Hebrew. That is the kind of act we would have thought calls for a sin offering. But actually such an act cannot be atoned for by an offering at all. So how do we make sense of the sin offering?
Every Dog Has His Day
Kelly regularly jumped up to greet me in her signature style, licking me exuberantly while rhythmically wagging her tail. Well, she certainly knew how to make a guest feel welcome (if not utterly terrified!).
Talmud on Social Media: Is It A Risk Worth Taking?
Many people have asked me to comment on Miriam Anzovin’s Daf Reactions on TikTok.
Rabbi Sacks’ Message for Tisha B’Av During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Here is a short message as we head towards Tisha B'Av and will be marked in strange and difficult circumstances because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Tehillim Is A Very Powerful Tool
In disbelief the doctors said it was not their doing but rather a true miracle that such a choleh could survive this illness.
Four Who Are Considered Dead
We see that suffering is not considered equal to death.
Yom Kippur Thoughts
Yom Kipper, the Day of Atonement, is the supreme moment of Jewish time, a day of fasting and prayer, introspection and self-judgment. At no...
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