During the period of Counting the Omer, beginning during the Holiday of Freedom, we must come out on the right side of history, as individuals and as a nation.
How did King David spend his nights?
For Polish Jews who had seen the utter vulnerability of exile, the existence of a Jewish state represented a profound shift in Jewish history.
Ultimately, the Schlissel Challah is meant to focus our perspective. After a week of Matzah-the bread of humility-returning to regular bread represents a return to action.
The tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu in Parashat Shemini warn of the terrible danger of humans following their own decrees instead of G-d’s, even when they have the holiest and most exalted of intentions.
Let us learn to look at these world developments through the lens of Chazal, our Sages.
While we aspire to draw closer to G-d, we must do so on His terms, not our own.
To act based on instinctive feelings of right and wrong, or even powerful religious inspiration, is to undermine the principle of Divine Revelation.
The eighth day marks a milestone in the history of Israel: the dwelling of the Divine Presence, immense joy alongside a moving tragedy that underscores the depth of holiness and responsibility.
A practice once unthinkable for a Jew is now often accepted casually by secular Jews, without serious thought about its spiritual, scientific, and moral dimensions. It is the difference between a melody gently fading into silence and an instrument smashed to pieces mid-song.
Then, the waters became the undoing of a mighty empire. Today, the waters have become a channel through which a dangerous power is being weakened and held back.
There is a moment when the call is not to learn, not to daven, not to deliberate. The call is to walk into the sea.
Certain leaders, certain regimes, and certain civilizations choose destruction over surrender - even when every rational calculation screams otherwise.
This is what every parent should teach his children this year during Pesach. This is what every Rabbi should teach his congregation. This is what every head of every Jewish organization should make his number one priority.
The Days of Mashiach consist of literally what has been happening in the State of Israel for 76 years, and literally what is happening in the State of Israel today.
Rav Soloveitchik’s decision to engage with Mizrachi-and through it, with the broader political and secular dimensions of Zionist nation-building-constitutes a significant departure from his 'Brisk' inheritance. But it has precedents in Jewish history.
"At this time, the State of Israel is not engaged in a war of choice. It is confronting an existential threat. The sweeping condemnation you made of 'those who wage war,' without distinction between aggressor and defender, risks creating a profound moral confusion."
Although we see how the public in Israel is divided into right and left, all of this is only from a superficial and external perspective.
The sound of explosions has ceased. We pray for the salvation of our nation, for a time of calm and security.
A ferocious wind lifted me from the sidewalk and hurled me into the gutter at the onset of rush-hour traffic. I survived and it changed my life.
Jews always have more questions. Here are four.
We celebrated the seder and will continue enjoying the holiday despite the missiiles and rockets. Yosef Mendelevich had a heroic seder in the gulag, but remained a prisoner for two more years.
The V’hi She’amdah song should remind us that Hashem allows adversaries to threaten us in order to distance us from them, and subsequently delivers us to inspire us to strengthen our relationship with Him..
I found chametz in my house on Pesach! 🚨What should I do?
What makes a person truly free?
The future of Jewish life will not be secured by persuading the world, but by inspiring our children.
Keith Siegel's request for his first Shabbat at home tells us something about the Jewish people and continuity.
We begin our Seder service with a modest invitation: “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt; all who are hungry - let them come and eat!." Why so meager?
The joy at the prospect of the seder, at noting the times below, and at keeping the holiday’s mitzvot is accompanied by prayers for the safety of our IDF soldiers fighting at various battle fronts for our safety and security.
Is the Pesach model of redemption rooted in passivity still the paradigm? The haftarah provides the answer.
The Seder can be seen as moving through a complete arc: identify the pain, share the story, embrace the journey, and let go into faith.
" Thus said the Holy One to Israel: My children, do I lack anything? What do I seek from you? I seek only that you love one another, and honor one another..."
Yosef’s coat represented separation. The bundle of hyssop represents humility and unity.
What is it about Pesach that makes it so special? It brings out so much good in people!
Read how the scientific and the spiritual, the equation and the symbol, converge perfectly in a single drop of water.
The Haftorah reminds us that the miracles of the past were only the beginning. What comes next is our responsibility.
Remember the miiracle in the days of King Hezekiah on Pesach and the joy it engendered.
Part I: Words of faith for soldiers fighting for our people. Part II: Halakhot with additions for soldiers at the front
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.
The altar and its fire offer not only a model of ritual practice, but also a framework for thinking about the inner life, the offerings a method for transformation.
People in pain are not first asking to be rescued. They are asking not to feel alone. And God does not stand outside suffering.
Two brothers, one the galut and the other in Israel - and two very different seders.
Cleaning the kitchen for Pesach (Passover) should be done more carefully than cleaning the house, to ensure that not even a small crumb of chametz (leavened food) remains. Added links: OU guides to Passover and medications as well as Israeli Health Miinistry guide for medicatiions.
It’s as if we’re watching history echo in real time. And right now, that echo is getting harder and harder to ignore. Suddenly, the words of the Haggadah don’t feel abstract.
Although we were born and set apart in Egypt, our soul and our light and our purpose and our uniqueness are revealed in their full strength in the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.
Why does the Torah not require covering the blood after slaughter for cattle, sheep, and goats?
The Pesach sacrifice was a massive act of defiance against the idolatrous Egyptian oppressors. And the Haftarah-reading for Shabbat Hagadol is the very last prophetic vision ever.
From divine objects to living architects.
Is it permitted for three male soldiers and one female soldier - who is a driver or paramedic - to remain together in a Hummer (Humvee)?
When, chronologically, did our Parashah's first verses occur?
What made Moses the right person to lead the Exodus? Why did G-d choose him, and at what precise moment was his destiny sealed?
The thanksgiving offering teaches us that not only does deliverance require gratitude, but also the possibility of continuing to live and act in the world.
The essential task is not only behavioral correction, but internal scrutiny.
Shabbat Hagadol, prior to the holiday of our freedom, reaffirms our identity as the Jewish nation. Shabbat Shuva reaffirms our identity as a God-centered people. In their land.
The world today finds itself in a fog of confusion. Why would a regime, already weakened and under immense strain, choose to double down? Look back to the Exodus to understand. And note how Pharaoh 'kept his word' when negotiating.
This time in the year, which includes the Seder, more than any other time, celebrates the ability of Jewish families to come together. And this current time in Jewish history is an opportunity to share familial unity and natiional purpose.
It is precisely at the threshold between message and moment, that this special Haftorah’s relevance to our own time becomes unmistakable.
The Chafetz Chaim saw the approaching Redemption, and he gave instructions to prepare for it properly by studying the laws of sacrifices and the Temple rituals.
Hashem is concerned with the fate and direction of all people and wants us to offer them direction. Judaism and Jews are meant to impact more than just Jews.
