In their very first encounter, Hashem’s initial words to Avraham were “Lech lecha!” If you want to come close to Me and discover your mission in life then go to the Land I will show you.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer showed respect and developed genuine friendships with Jews and non-Jews from many different backgrounds and communities, and across the political spectrum.
An age-old phenomenon that is still with us, with one crucial change.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Abraham and his revolutionary faith kindled a nascent spark of faith among the nations.
Avraham was not going to be, like Noach and Adam, born of a world where it was just him and his wife; rather, they were going to be the progenitor and catalyst of a new people
The Prophetic consolation after the Three Weeks lasts well into the next year. We receive Isaiah’s healing message of consolation not for seven weeks, but for ten weeks.
Sarah didn’t think she was beautiful; Avraham knew better.
The Nation of Israel has a special power called the strength of Rachel, which keeps it alive.
HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook told visiting students from the Diaspora that the command “Lech lecha” is as imperative today as when it was first spoken to Avraham:
The all-women's Breishit Ensemble performs in gratitude for the miracles the Jewish People have witnessed in the merit of Matriarch Rachel, whose yahrzeit is this Saturday night.
In this week's Kitah high video, I share a very famous Midrash that raises the difficult issue of children challenging their parents' beliefs and way of life.
All the noble traits that appeared in Avraham our father, and all the good deeds that he performed throughout his life, have not been lost. They were imprinted within the people of Israel, in the spiritual and even physical “chromosomes” of the People of the God of Avraham.
Avraham and Sara are the exemplars of Divine service, models who we must strive to emulate.
The Chatam Sofer reconciles the seemingly irreconciliable views of Rashi and of Ramban, and lauds Abraham's ability to instill faith in his descendants.
The life of Avraham is a sign for those who make Aliyah to Israel: at first they will have difficulties, but in the end, the blessing will surely come.
The very essence of the Land of Israel is that it is dependent upon G-d’s constant care. And the most immediately obvious expression of that care is the rain.
Without the kitniyot issues, we would be one more step closer to being simply “Jews of Israel”, instead of being Ashkenazi or Sephardi Jews, or Jews from Morocco, Ethiopia, or India.
Every star in the heavens matters - and so does every Jew on earth. We are brothers and sisters.
Our war for the Land and the revival of our people includes numerous systems and all the systems need repair. A state commission of inquiry appointed by the Supreme Court will not help at all, because the judicial system also needs scrutiny.
In this series of articles, the writer highlights that many of today’s scientists, in their relentless quest to comprehend the universe, are discovering the very same truths and principles articulated thousands of years ago in our Holy Torah.
The generation of the Flood could not stop Noah from boarding the ark and the American VP cannot derail the sovereignty train. A little humility, and some historical perspective, is required of the Trump administration.
The Torah does not demand that every non-Jew living among us convert, nor does it require their expulsion. But it does require that those who remain in the Land accept the basic terms of moral conduct and recognize the rightful authority of a Jewish nation in its land.
There are no mechanisms in place to safeguard the Jewish population in America. Alliyah is their best recourse. Opinion.
The Talmud states in Megillah 9b: “May the beauty of Yefeth reside in the tents of Shem.” How can that be?
In the Torah, an ish ḥamasim-a man of violence-is a ruthless, merciless person who sees brutality as a legitimate means to achieve his aims. Such is today's Hamas as shown both in its charter and its barbarity, and we must therefore open our eyes to reality.
As the time for Moshiach’s arrival swiftly approaches, one can’t help but notice the utter insanity that surrounds philosophy and what is considered educated thought in today’s world.
Why do the Sages feel compelled to denigrate Noach?
Israel’s wealth is a Divine promise being fulfilled. And the Torah connects the promise of prosperity with God’s love for His people.
Who is greater? Noah or Avraham. Let us compare the two following the example of Chazal..
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak provided a daring translation of Rashi’s comment on why Noah didn't enter the ark until forced to by the rain - and it is a lesson for all of us.
Noah, Daniel and Job saw three worlds. So have we.
Mere mutual interest and collective survival are not sufficient to unite all humanity and safeguard the world
The episode of Noach’s drunkenness is a poignant commentary on the difficulty of beginning again in a universe that has seen death and pain. The haftarah and G-d's words to Noach tell us how to begin again today as well.
“The dove found rest on it (Shabbat), and there the weary will rest,” wrote Yehuda Halevy.
Why does Rashi comment: ’’Noach debased himself’ - he should have first engaged in planting something other than a vineyard."
Shem and Yefet covered their father’s shame; so should we.
On the book that presents intimate descriptions of two giants of Torah and their teachings, set against the dramatic rebirth of the Land of Israel and the Statehood of Israel in our times.
Granted that the world could not have come into being without Him, once created, can it persist on its own, independent of His sustaining Providence?
This is the great contradiction within the human soul - the eternal internal battle we all wage every moment of our lives.
Due to Sukkot, the shloshim for Rabbi Prof. Dov Fischer will not take place 30 days after his burial, so we are posting this memorial piece now, a tribute to the brilliant mind, fearless voice, and unbreakable heart of American Orthodoxy's most compelling advocate.
Just as your hand touches no object but feels and experiences the force between electron clouds, so too are we constantly connected to the energy of Holiness that sustains all existence invisibly yet tangibly.
Judaism’s Thirteen Principles of Faith begin with the need to recognize Hashem as the world's Creator.
Even a religious and spiritually righteous person is capable of being afflicted with historical blindness.
From watching the behavior of a tzaddik, one can learn as much as from his Torah lectures.
According to Rav Kook, the Torah of Eretz Yisrael is fundamentally different in its method and scope.
Even a match decreed in Heaven must be built on earth. Every marriage requires avodah - work, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and joy in each other’s growth.
The point of a Jew's yearly restart is not to wallow in feelings of guilt but to convert inner accusation into constructive return and renewal.
As we begin the Torah with Bereishit, we are reminded by the Netziv that our forefathers' uprightness contrasts with the baseless hatred that led to the destruction of the Second Temple, urging us to embrace unity and respect.
Torah Judaism is not progressive liberalism.
The Majesty of Debate.
A nation that frees its murderers cannot protect its children. The lesson Hamas learned in past deals was not Israel's mercy. It was that Jewish blood has a price-and that price is Israel's willingness to empty its prisons.
A seemingly contradicttory account of the creation of vegetation and trees teaches a deep message about our relationship to G-d.
The opening word of the Torah, בְּרֵאשִׁית, “in the beginning”, already encoded all of what was to come, the potential of everything which will ever be.
There is no comfort in this teaching, no way to apply it without heartbreak, but it is filled with long term wisdom.
not only does Parashat BeReishit contain a reference to Eretz Yisrael, we will see below that it completely depends upon it.
If Man was created without the capacity for shame, why would it suddenly emerge as a result of prohibited eating?
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
When you're holding the four species, when you beat the aravot, do you feel this power?
