The rainbow is a symbol of love and unity. Just as the diversity of colour is what gives the rainbow its beauty, so it is with our diversity as a people.
The same Noah who before the flood did not see fit to plead for his generation, now stands, according to the midrash, and demands a promise that there will be no more destruction.
What is the connection between honoring Torah scrolls and respect for human remains?
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars find connections in the weekly Torah reading to the Holy Land.
Thank goodness, Noah was no saint
There is a message in the meanings of two Hebrew words in this week's Torah reading.
It seems that the theme of these observations of Rashi is that G-d can be said to be willing to forgo His honor; it is only when interpersonal relationships break down and antisocial behaviors reign supreme that G-d feels that the fabric of society and creation is being torn down.
If you look at Noach, you see how bringing nachas to G-d is our purpose as individuals and as a nation.
The Jew is enjoined to follow his G-d, even into the furnace if necessary – and damn the consequences, or bless the consequences as the case may be.
This is a time when threats come from all sides - here is how to get through them.
Our commitment to mitzvot should be comprehensive — we should endeavor to observe all of His commandments.
What was the outstanding moral failure that characterized the generation that built the Tower of Babel?
We who make up the chosen people of Hashem are now being put to the test to see who will take part in the grand master plan of the restoration of the glory of Hashem and His nation in Eretz Yisrael.
We must state clearly and unequivocally: there is no halakhic or moral justification for exempting part of the nation from military service and participation in the mitzvah of assisting Israel in need.
A functioning society is impossible without objective language.
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.
Natan Alterman was a famous Israeli poet, second only to Chaim Nachman Bialik. He wrote The Silver Platter in 1947 and this is a 2024 adaptation of the iconic Israeli poem.
Rabbi Kook teaches that we must not wage ugly battles against differing groups, nor disassociate ourselves from them.
This break reminded us to balance technology with life.
Young religious Zionist scholars find connections to the Holy Land in the weekly Torah portion. New Addition: Learning about a location in Israel.
And yet, in spite of all……Pirkei Avot concludes by citing the words of Ben Hei-Hei: “According to the pain is the reward” (Pirkei Avot 5:23).
Man left alone in his nature is pulled downwards. The Torah pushes us to hope for the future, to make progress, and to find new pathways to be productive at every moment in time.
Many Jews were killed in a 14th century Simchat Torah massacre . Jewish history tends to repeat itself, but so does our resilience to the world's evil.
Imparting pure philosophical truth isn’t the Torah’s primary aim.
What can we learn from the Torah's description of the "Tree of Life" situated in "the midst of the garden", in the centre of the garden?
How Rabbi Kook celebrated Simchat Torah.
Can we truly celebrate during such difficult times? A profound lesson from the past offers guidance.
We should not allow the challenges we are facing to cause us to lose sight of the broader good and special times we are living in. We have much to celebrate and be thankful for.
We all have a role to play in the divine plan.
Joshua Bell’s violin—and the music of Jewish History: The story of a Stradivarius which escaped Nazism.
May it be God’s will that we fulfill the words of the Torah with joy and gladness in the abundance of blessings in our years.
As Jews, we don't commemorate events based on the date in the secular calendar. Birthdays and Yartzheits, significant events and Festivals, both joyous and sad, are observed according to the Jewish date.
“And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Bereishiet 12,2-3).
And why does Moses, in the midrash on G-d hosting the righteous in the days of the Redemption, refuse to lead Grace after Meals?
It is a Certificate of Honor for the community for loving and studying the Torah.
I listen to the tourists planning their departures, and I wonder: Don't they understand the historical context of having the ability to return to our Holy Land after a long and bitter exile of 2,000 years? Why is going back to the US such an easy choice?
Sukkot celebrates Hashem’s protection of Bnei Yisrael in the desert and also the uniqueness of that particular generation.
There are two identities to the festival of Sukkot.
The mitzvah of sukkah requires more than just eating meals in the sukkah; it involves moving our lives and most cherished items from home to sukkah.
Chol HaMoed is a connecting link between the holiness of the festival and the weekdays. Our role during Chol HaMoed is to strengthen ourselves in Torah study and in the joy of the festival. Through this, we merit again the Yom Tov at the end of the festival.
The Midrash details how Iyov could not understand his life of extreme suffering, until he was able to comprehend the mitzvah of sukkah. This comment of the Midrash begs for an explanation, as the logic that would explain a connection between Iyov’s suffering and the mitzvah of building a sukkah is glaringly missing.
How in the world can we be joyous? Mind over heart. How do chayalim enter into battle? Mind over heart.
The sword of Islam is far wider than the distance between the “river and the sea”.
A unifying story about Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook and his student Rav Yoel Bin Nun.
My love will be stronger than your defiance, says G-d, the parent of all of us.
Why did our Sages choose this Prophetic Reading as the Haftarah for first day Sukkot? Because it prophesies that all the terrorist gangs, all the nations, all the hostile armies combined are but a cipher.
Rabbi Sacks' prolific writings are timeless, and they include materials on every facet of Jewish holidays. Download the posters and see the videos as well as family oriented topics.
We love G-d; He has a home in our hearts. At this time, it is appropriate to say that our intellectual wisdom has found a home in our emotional wisdom.
Open even a small space like the eye of a needle for G-d, said our Sages, and He will widen it till it is the size of a hall. Read how the laws of a kosher sukkah reference that inspiring and hopeful idea.
On embracing discomfort and the paradox of Sukkot.
Journeying back through Jewish history to the time of the Temples, in their grandeur and destruction, brings you forward to the time when the prayers shall be chanted in this very same holy place. Read below to learn where that place is.
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.
An English translation by Rabbi Eliakim Willner and a translated biography by Rabbi Shmuel Kirzner about Rav Yitzchok Hutner
Rabbi Segal recalled: I took a deep breath. With one swift motion, I lifted the shofar and blew a long, resounding blast that echoed against the ancient stones. And what happened next?
The highlight of the Yom Kippur service in the time of the Beit Hamikdash was the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies, in special white garments, as the representative of the Jewish people. The Mishnah states that it was the most intimate of moments between the man representing the Jewish Nation and Hashem Himself.
It's never all or noting.
Lessons from commentaries and Rabbis relating to Eretz Yisrael by young Religious Zionist Torah scholars. Why are sexual offenses the subject of the Yom Kippur Torah reading?
In IDF military service, soldiers fulfill two commandments, each equivalent to all the commandments: the obligatory war of saving Israel from its enemy’s hand, and settling the land.
Who, on Yom Kippur of 5784, could possibly have foreseen what havoc and turmoil the year would bring?
