A well loved Israeli children's song for Sukkot is "Shlomit builds a sukkah of peace." That is not what the sukkah is really about.
The aravah receives the pinnacle of honor among the Arba’at Haminim of Sukkot. What does that signify?
On Sukkot, we demonstrate that we are in love with life in this world; with our whole being, we immerse ourselves in the mitzvah
Just as Redemption preceded the world and is essential to it, so too did repentance.
The walls define the space, the sechach fills that space with holiness and warmth. And we need to respect the walls.
The four species which we are commanded to take for ourselves on the Festival of Sukkot are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, just as the Torah is indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, and the Jewish People are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael.
The lessons of the last two years remind us that although our enemies in every generation devise elaborate plans to destroy us, Hashem ensures our survival.
Our prayer to G-d during the Ten Days of Repentance is analyzed here in tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
Modern assumptions about G-d have proven to be premature.
The Song of Ha'azinu is a testament of Jewish Destiny.
Jewish history isn’t random happenstance; Israel’s reconstituted national sovereign independence in the Land of Israel within living memory is woven into the very fabric of G-d’s Creation; our continued sovereignty in Israel depends not on the prowess of our military, on economics, on politics, but on our connection with G-d, His Torah, and His Mitzvot.
The safety and continuity of our people depend on vigilance, action, and adherence to the eternal covenant. Learn from history to build a stronger, safer Jewish future.
"...With this background in mind, the Rambam’s comments in Chapt. 7 Halachah 1 [Laws of Repentance] are all the more remarkable. Rambam writes: “Since free choice is granted to all men as explained, a person should always strive to do Teshuvah."
It's never all or nothing. G-d is the ultimate loving parent. When he sees that a Jew makes even the slightest movement of Teshuva, regardless of how much he has left to go, G-d immediately embraces this movement.
On a day that we're purified before G-d (Vayikra 16:30) and thrust into the holy of holies, we must contemplate our overall duty of devotion, because “in the times of Mashiach, there is only One to rely on, our G-d in Heavens.”
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said, “If you believe that it is possible to make mistakes, then you can believe that it is also possible to make amends.”
What should be done when around the world Jewish communities are facing such challenging times?
It is the last night of the Ten Days of Repentance - use the time well.
In an interview on his 80th birthday, Carl Jung said, "But do you know who anticipated my entire psychology in the eighteenth century? The Hassidic Rabbi Ber from Mezritch, whom they called the Great Maggid. He was a most impressive man."
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.
We must strive to uphold our commitment to the Torah and to Am Yisrael, even as we recognize our own shortcomings and moments of faltering.
The number of a verse, its numerology - all point to the past but also to today in this week's parasha.
The significance of hakhel goes beyond the reading itself.
The answer is found here: Why do I say the two magic words?
The Fast of Gedaliah, held to mark the tragic assassination of the governor of Judea after the destruction of the First Holy Temple, is today. But the way to renewal is open before us.
A leader’s job is to preserve authentic Judaism come what may.
Does your soul dance with love and passion since the holy days of Rosh Hashanah? If not, Yom Kippur is another chance.
The mitzvah of Hakhel: A national gathering with larger dimensions.
A positive look at the new year
These are the three tools which G-d gives us to transform His judgment from bad to good: repentance, prayer, and charity. Delving into that prayer and Mussaf.
The difference between the admonitions in two successive Torah readings teach an important lesson for the New Year.
Our tradition demands that we give greater priority to regular over irregular.
A selection of concepts concerning the Jewish New Year that begins tonight.
International law permits a state to wage war in order to defend itself. For generations the West has been steeped in antisemitism and the claim that we are committing “genocide” and “war crimes” is a distinctly antisemitic claim, while it is true that much of the Arab enemy's civilian population are full partners in the war against us.
During the prayers of Rosh Hashanah - in Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot - we are to concentrate on victory in the war. And it is obligatory to have that intention (kavanah) during the shofar blasts as the obligation to blow at a time of war.
Victorious we shall be! However, the essential condition that determines the degree of our victory is the spiritual level of the Jewish nation.
This year a cloak of whiteness covers the month of Elul, the entrance to the High Holidays. Is it the cloak of purity, or of numbness?
Acts of Chessed are especially important during the season of Rosh Hashanah, the holiday commemorating Creation, the greatest act of initial Chessed by God.
Returning and renewing the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and Yerushalayim b’simcha with Nachala, The Gush Katif Forum and Ateret Cohanim.
Resolve to give a nickel to tzedakah every morning, resolve to put on tefillin every day, resolve to light candles before every Shabbat. Even if your heart isn’t in it, it is a good beginning.
The relationship between Yehuda and Yosef is a microcosm of the relationship between the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel (which was founded and led by kings descending from Yosef).
The Talmud teaches us that repentance (teshuvah) transforms deliberate sins into either mistakes or merits. Based on the teachings of Reish Lakish, the Maharsha, and Rav Kook, we show how repentance from love elevates wrongdoing into a catalyst for growth, deepening love of good, hatred of evil, and spiritual transformation.
One Hebrew, one Arabic - two words that sound similar but are worlds apart.
Reliving he moment when Rav Soloveitchik's face became a living commentary on the verse his son was chanting, and a living embodiment of a plea to Hashem sung by legendary Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt.
After the mourning comes the rejoicing, after the exile comes the return home, after the destruction comes the renaissance. The Redemption is swiftly approaching, and Hashem brooks no delay in its implementation.
Saying: “May the year end with its curses, may the year begin with its blessings,” is not enough - we must also act and do,
The internet poses challenges, but we can overcome them as long as we don't blame the mouse...and that's a message for all of life's challenges.
A Torah-true life doesn’t allow for half-hearted commitments.
What did Moshe seek to convey by telling us that the Torah is “not in heaven” or “on the other side of the sea”?
Genuine happiness stems from discipline, which involves protecting the mind from negativity, focusing on meaningful engagement, and allowing spiritual practice to shape daily routines.
The most famous "seruvnik" - fighter for freedom for Soviet Jews - spent 11 years imprisoned in Siberia for his Zionism. He stayed true to his beliefs and his people. Lessons for today.
Thrust aside all accountings and return in haste to the Land of Hashem, the Land of Israel, our one and only home.
May you ascend, step by step, from one level of Teshuva to the next.
If one is forced to choose between death and violating one of these prohibitions — even in private — one should (generally) choose death. These prohibitions are that severe.
Just as we were entering into the Holy Land, stones had a position of prominence.
To withdraw into solitude, imagining that this leads to closeness with God, is foreign to the Torah’s vision.
The shofar of Zechariah sounds in a great voice in our days. This is a blast that began from the time the ingathering of exiles began. Also liberation from bondage of kingdoms. Also ascent to the Land. Also heroism. Also eradication of the enemies.
Before I Confess My Sins, I Must Confess My Greatness.
Chid”a explains, however, that a gift that is accepted by Hashem Himself is, in reality, a source of pride and joy for the giver; thus Hashem’s accepting of the offering serves as the greatest pleasure for the benefactor, and therefore they are considered a “taker” in this scenario.
We comprise many groups and individuals, yet we are one people; much like a body has many organs but is a single organism.
‘Do not think that these oaths are imposed on you alone- as if, but for this, you would not serve Hashem.'
Just as more than two-and-three-quarters-centuries ago Hassidism burst onto Jewish history changing it forever, so too a century-and-a-half ago political Zionism - that led to anti-Zionism - burst onto Jewish history changing it forever. Who will win?
It is to my religious brothers and sisters who are still stuck in the galut that I dedicate the following article.
An abundance of food is the effect - not the cause - of human flourishing.
The commandment of bringing the bikkurim is a tangible and concrete expression that we are not ingrates.
Only Hashem could have authored a book that accurately foretold the future course of Jewish existence.
Only in our connection to the light of the national soul can we begin to examine our own lives and our connection to Hashem.
Is this the Redemption?
Mathematics and numbers are not just abstract ideas, but, as our sages tell us in so many places, they are essential to the very structure and identity of reality, revealing an inherent design where spiritual concepts and physical phenomena are deeply intertwined. The sun, for example.
We are invited not just to remember that God created the world—but that He is still creating it, and us, every day.
Dealing with children who put you through the wringer.
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 new Humash makes his teachings “more accessible than ever, ensuring his voice continues to guide future generations.”
D’var Torah for Parshat Ki Teitzei
Should we try to understand the true reasons for the Torah’s commandments?
Keeping the mitzvot protects the Jew from external enemies, from natural disasters, and from becoming the agent through which G-d brings punishment into the world.
Ramban explains that the Ben Sorer Umoreh’s actions violate the fundamental backbone and spirit of the entirety of the Torah - 'Kedoshim ti’yhu - You shall be a holy people.'
Almost 700 days later, that morning still lives inside me. Op-ed.
The moment we are on our own, we become vulnerable to Amalek.
The wisest of men King Solomon - exclaimed (Mishlei 11:1): "Deceitful weights are an abomination of the Lord, but a perfect weight is His Will."
I heard from my father and teacher the late Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l, that the Torah hints at the proper way to conduct war.
We must know that our war today is a war of the Children of Light against the Beasts of Darkness.
"He who walks with the wise will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm”.
We do not rely on miracles; instead, the miracle relies on us. God brings greatness through our hands and from within us, through our efforts.
The mitzvah of shaatnez teaches us to live for nobler purposes.
What is the reason for the harsh limitation on Ammonites and Moabites?
The place of the challenges Olim face based on the thoughts of Rabbi Tzvi Yisrael Tau.
This is the time for more haredim to move to our biblical heartland, fulfilling a mitzva while enjoying a higher standard of living, taking advantage of the present government's willingness to encourage and help.
Rabbi Kook explained in the essay ‘Ha’Dor’ (‘The Generation’) that those who abandon Torah in the new generation believe in the values of truth and goodness. Therefore, one must turn to the people of the new generation with appreciation for their aspirations and desires.
Atomic structure, Kabbalah, and the Divine blueprint
It is impossible for us to measure the tremendous value of the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the good of the Jewish People.
People who seek God without anchoring themselves to His people are lost at sea. The way home is through the nation, through its covenant, its language, its pain, and its resilience.
If Judaism is immutable, how can it be relevant?
The worst form of slavery is that of the spirit.
Thus, because the Torah commands us not to veer from the words of our sages, it is inherently considered a command from Hashem to follow the words of our Torah scholars, and therefore, the blessing made on Rabbinic Mitzvot can be considered as commanded by Hashem, by virtue of the fact that Hashem commands us to listen to the Sages!
The Torah does not deal with us in absolute specific terms but rather establishes general parameters of righteous judicial systems and equitable standards of law enforcement.
The two Sifrei Torah represent the two ways of serving Hashem.
‘Yisrael v’oraita chad hu’- the Jewish people and the Torah are one.
Those who rise against Israel are destroyed. Those who still remain shall all meet the same end, may it be soon.
Our suffering is not yet over: that is obvious. We still face genocidal enemies dedicated to our extermination. But Israel is in the process of being redeemed in justice.
If there is a case in which a poor person loses to a significantly wealthy one, the true verdict must be delivered. However, the matter should not end there.
The more difficult it is to do, the more critical it is to jump on it right away. If you must make a call to apologize for being mean to a friend or to ask a debtor for a deferral, don’t push it off. It will only get harder.
The Torah prohibition against owning many horses may be more relevant than we think.
Behold, currently the People of Israel are correcting the sins of surrendering chunks of our Homeland through the decision to settle the area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
The Torah believes in our ability to repair ourselves as individuals and to repair society as a whole, so why do we need an external force?
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.
On the 90th yahrzeit of the Torah luminary who was the great visionary of Religious Zionism and the first chief rabbi of Israel, read about his final moments.
The commandment of tzitzit applies only during the day, so women are exempt from it Women are also exempt from the commandment of tefillin, since it too is a positive commandment that is time-bound. But are they allowed to don either of them and if yes, do they get a reward for doing so?
A movement is emerging with key Rabbis, counselors and therapist groups paving the way for all who seek traditional marriage.
The thread that weaves the various mitzvot in Parashat Re’eh is helping Torah-observant people to recognize their control over the cultural and social norms of their environment, and their own negative natural tendencies.
On discovering God's Presence in every moment. What science sees as “quantum fields” are nothing less than the written blueprints of creation.
For those of us who care deeply about the antisemitism in Australia and the war against Israel (both on the ground in the Middle East and online globally), it is a particularly difficult time. Some tips.
A new way to approach Teshuva through Rabbi Kook's original teachings guiding us on the path to achieve it.
Deep down in our souls, the source of our moral consciousness, we will always know what is truly right. We can relate this Torah message to current events and politics in Australia.
Unlike the weekday Amidah, which contains nineteen blessings, the Amidah for Shabbat contains only seven. Why?
In Jewish law, when we stipulate a payment on the fulfilment of a condition, if the condition is met, the payment is backdated to the day the condition was set. If we learn how to “see” G-d’s love even in prosaic things, G-d will backdate our blessings to this Shabbat
D’var Torah for Re’eh.
A strange Talmudic insight into a Biblical verse captures the sense of Jewish Unity.
An enlightening look at commentators through the centuries on the question of the wording of the verses on the blessings and curses regarding Torah observance.
Why does the Torah specifically become so emphatic and present its message with such urgent animation in this parasha?
Some Torah prohibitions became clear in our time. Only in our generation have we come to see how necessary the simple, literal meaning is: Don’t destroy synagogues, don’t raze Jewish cities, don’t bulldoze Jewish houses - in Israel, “lest the Gentiles hear of it, and destroy the Land of Israel”.
“To His dwelling you shall seek, and there you shall come.” Why not identify the place in the Torah?
No Torah portion is as joyful as Parashat Re’eh.
The quantum state does not reveal a single fixed reality independent of observation, nor do two people involved in the same incident.
True, in the realm of choice, there are those with deficiencies in deeds, in character, and in opinions. But their orientation to Torah will change, and they will return to choose the good, God willing.
Rabbis must make the wonderful mitzvah of Aliyah a constant and central part of Jewish education. And, it goes without saying that they should make Aliyah themselves.
Despite enormous budgets and high-quality manpower at its disposal, the security establishment failed to understand the enemy. Does that justify an increase in wages? And what about the reservists who have been in Gaza for long periods of time?
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 Torah wants Judaism to penetrate our being.
There are material consequences in addition to the spiritual ones that ensue from one’s embrace or rejection of Torah.
Does a person who accepts the yoke of Torah really have other responsibilities removed from him? How?
Word laundering has turned a lethal NYS bill that needs the governor's signature into something that reads like it is a socially acceptable measure. Here is the truth while it can still be stopped.
We made them “princes over us at our head” so now what can we say when that comes back to bite us?
I am. Few peoples have contributed as much to the advancement of human knowledge and ethics as the Jews.
Religious Zionist Torah scholars study the connection between the Bible and the Land of Israel.
Great good awaits those who toil in the ocean of the oral Torah - as well as those who go in the way of עקב: fulfilling all the mitzvot.
Most of us know the famous verse asking that question and the answer that follows it. But what does it mean?
Coming a few weeks after the tragic day of Tisha’a Ba’av, where we recall the destruction of G-d’s holy temples, a small measure of comfort can be gleaned from the above idea
Why would Moshe make money from carving the Second Tablets?
Historically there were two different customs with regard to public Torah reading. Which is best?
Even commandments not dependent on the land, such as tefillin and mezuzah, are primarily for those dwelling in the Land of Israel.
Our Prophets and Sages have already told us that when we return to our Land to fulfill our historical mission of bringing light to the world, the nations will rise against us.
When one requires water in Israel, one looks up. When one needs security, stability, or prosperity in Israel, one also looks up.
Leave out one "dot" of the Torah, one dot of Eretz Yisrael (the Holy Land), and you violate the Covenant.
Davening isn’t about how we feel; it’s about how we’re supposed to think.
Hamas leaders and followers are no better than Ben-Hadad of Aram. They have forfeited any rightto live.
We must never try to predict how God judges His people.
Rav Kook spoke at length about fear of Heaven and did not spare criticism of the mistakes in the meaning of the concept.
Hashem created every one of the world’s eight billion people with a yearning for meaning. Although we all know that we are merely one of billions, we want to feel that our lives matter.
Chaos, Quantum, and the Creator: The unseen Hand that governs all.
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.
In times of turmoil, we turn to ancient words of hope, to visions of a world where peace is not just a fleeting wish but a lived reality.
Moshe's supplications, although rejected, bear a deeper message on how the change in leadership will affect the way the Shechinah is revealed.
You don’t have to listen to me. Listen to Moshe. Listen to the roaring echo of his words, resounding out today over the anti-Semitic prairies and cities of America. Come home and keep the Torah as it should be kept!
This Sin of the Spies continues today on the part of people who spend their days criticizing Israel all over the media. “This is no good, and that’s no good, and this is immoral, and that is unjust, and this is like the Nazis, and that is Messianic, and this is leading the country to destruction…” ad infinitum.
Why did R. Shimon ben Gamliel say that there were no days more joyous than Tu B’Av and Yom Kippur?
This is the time to study - not just read, but to study in depth - the messages of the 9th of Av, of Parashat Va-et’chanan, and of Haftarat Nachamu.
How does prayer work?
Drashot Even Shoiv (Parshas Vaetchanan) states that we should treat Shabbat Nachamu like a Yom Tov, so go out and get special treats!
The Torah says “Do not add to the matter that I command you, and do not detract from it; to guard the commandments of Hashem your G-d that I command you”, so how do we relate to the teachings of our sages?
In this week’s Haftorah of “Nachamu,” the prophet Isaiah sets forth the prophecies of Redemption, may it be soon.
“There were never such good days for Israel as Tu B’Av (the fifteenth of the month of Av) and Yom Kippur” (Ta’anit 26b).
When Ruth walked alone and Reb Leivik danced alone. And in between on the time line, the Pachas-Moab family kept the Temple fires burning.
How are Shabbat Nachamu, Tu B’av, and Parashat Vaetchanan all intertwined?
Moses finally realized that the best thing for him was to let go.
Why all the repetition?
Begun? Why does Moshe Rabbeinu use that verb after all the miracles of the Exodus and the sojourn in the desert?
The killing of deadly animals in Israel raises a halachic question: can or should an animal that killed a person be killed today?
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.
Hashem responds to sentiments, not just words.
Sometimes, we may have fallen deeply in love with someone who is just “unsuitable” for us. The feeling can be so compelling that we might rush into a disastrous marriage simply because we cannot see beyond our fantasies.
God designed a physical world that deceives us into thinking that what we see is the only real thing, and many times, the fact that we have no room for others is a limitation. That comes to the fore in quantum physics as well.
The world's media are thick with hatred for Jews and Israel. Many students are weathering this storm by holding fast to their Jewish identity and community.
Do two archaeological discoveries possibly prove Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l’s position on the "amah"?
For the past several years, I’ve observed that the most difficult struggles in life are the ones we talk least about. There is the battle of truly conquering oneself. The battle of refinement. The struggle through daily tests and challenges.
Except for Hassidim, each ethnic, cultural, or geographic group living in Israel today has made some adjustments in diet, language, community, and climate, to adjust to living in an Israeli/Middle East environment.
Our persecution will not cease until we start admitting and living by the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. A list of 10 lies we need to switch for truth.
Rav Kook viewed Jewish infighting in Eretz Yisrael as a greater desecration than exile itself. “Let us come to know one another under the inclusive name Yisrael, not by factional or partisan titles,” he implored.
Though Israel was defeated in its battle against the legions of Rome, it was a magnificent and inspiring defeat, a defeat which ultimately destroyed the Roman Empire.
When cracks appear in your life, surrender to the new light.
Join the OU on a powerful journey through Jerusalem's holiest sites as it uncovers the deeper meaning of Tisha B’Av—not only as a day of reflection, but as a vision for the future of Am Yisrael.
Proof that this day is a day marked for geulah is that the day of Tisha B’Av always falls on the same day of the week as the first day of Pesach. On Tisha B’Av we were spared and reborn.
From sunset until the time of the departure of Shabbat is a time shared by Shabbat and the fast. Before sunset one stops eating and drinking.
Major tragic events that happened to the Jewish people either happened on Tisha B’Av, or had roots on Tisha B'Aav.
The question צָפִיתָ לַיְּשׁוּעָה? Did you anticipate Redemption? is an important measure of one’s life.
We must rectify the sin of the Spies and of the Generation of the Wilderness by cancelling the cause of our ancestors’ baseless weeping. We must increase love and faith, instilling in our hearts that God truly loves us.
The Book of Devarim is not a repetition, it is an explanation of Torah in the Land, and its first lesson is that those who think Torah and military are two separate realms, must realize that the emergence of the Jewish People involves both.
The spectre of churban continues to haunt the land.
Instead of trusting G-d, they sent the spies and the rest is history.
There is no doubt that courage and valor are tied to inheriting the Land.
The Book of Devarim teaches us about the importance of rebuke and the attitude we must assume toward it.
The pendulum of Jewish fate swings very swiftly from one extreme to the other.
The Nine Days, and Tisha B'Av in particular, are days in which we can reflect on our connection with the other citizens of Israel and Jews around the world.
Every nation receives its inheritance - no matter the military odds.
From the days of the early halakhic authorities, Jewish communities refrained from eating meat and drinking wine during the days of mourning over the Temples' destruction.
A comprehensive overview of the persecution, scholarship, and expulsion of the Jews of Spain.
The Prohibition of Wool and Linen Mixtures: Tradition and Modern Theories.
The teachings of the Arizal are considered on the same level as the Zohar. The great halakhic codifier, the “Magen Avraham,” takes the Arizal’s personal customs as legally binding precedents.
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.
Rashi wants to teach us that without Eretz Yisrael there is no Torah, no Am Yisrael, nor Sanctification of Hashem in the world.
I am already reciting Kinot with every headline, every funeral, every fallen soldier. Opinion.
Yosef Mendelevich: “The freedom fighters in Soviet Russia were like trees, standing tall and not bowing down. That’s how the idea came to me to create a forest for the Prisoners of Zion." It was dedicated last week.
What a heretic learnt in the Court of the Maggid about self-esteem.
The Torah emphasizes the profound power and responsibility of speech through the laws of nedarim, teaching us that individuals have the ability to create with their words and reflecting a deep connection between speech, commitment, & responsibility.
3,297 years ago, before despatching the Children of Israel on their war of vengeance against Midian, G-d infused them with the spiritual reinforcements necessary for victory - their national identity, their sense of history, their understanding of their destiny. So too, the Religious Zionist soldiers today.
‘Our Sages comment, that because Reuben and Gad were so attached to their wealth, till they were prepared to settle outside the land, they were the exiled from it, before the other tribes.'
At the end of the day, even if sanctions and other measures are introduced, we all know that no one will be shot at while delving over a complicated issue in the Gemara.
The question asked in Jeremiah is answered "Because they have forsaken my Torah" - what does that mean? Didn't they study Torah before the destruction of the Temples? Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda explains.
Ancient warnings for a modern crisis.
Thanks to the daughters of Tzelophechad, all the Israelite women chose to dwell in the Land of Israel. They did not take part in the Sin of the Spies.
Moving from place to place won’t solve anything.
We must unite immediately — as one person with one heart — in order to achieve a crushing victory over our enemies who hate Hashem.
A major dispute exists regarding the order of the four passages in tefillin. According to Rashi, the order of the passages is their order in the Torah, according to Rabbenu Tam, the third passage is “Ve-haya im shamoa”, and the fourth is “Shema” * The kabbalists explained that there is value to both methods, and optimally, one should put on both types of tefillin.
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.
To understand the phenomenon of a refuge city more clearly, we must fully appreciate the great value that the Torah attaches to the preservation of human life.
When a Jew in the Diaspora feels an inner alienation from his Gentile surroundings in a Gentile land, this inner awareness sets off a spiritual explosion which affects all of the Jewish People.
If you are already teaching difficult stories to process in Tanach, it would seem to make much more sense that we teach the morals learned from the horrific story of Pilegesh BaGivah than the story of David and Batsheva.
Our thoughts shape our reality: what we focus on grows.
The mitzvah of Shabbat is of great significance because it both reminds us of Hashem and gives us perspective on our lives.
There are things in the world that develop slowly, step by step, over decades; and there are things that require a big change all at once - with great forces at work for a relatively short amount of time. Rabbi Kook's thoughts on war.
How one strange Biblical verse came to capture the success of the Jewish People.
The meaning of the words describing the korban tamid: offering, bread, fire, and fragrance.
The only thing that matters is your relationship with G-d.
Bil’am lost his connexion with G-d. Samson’s prayer was answered, while Bil’am’s wasn’t.
Why did the Torah require the division of the Land of Israel to be done specifically by a lottery?
Jeremiah I, this week's Haftorah:The almond seen by Jeremiah sends out an exceptionally poignant and sadly relevant message to us at this saddest time of the year.
Bilaam realizes that the way to overcome Israel is to instigate conflict within Israel itself.
Most people automatically and mindlessly associate religion with unconditional compassion. The Talmud, however, teaches that in the proper context, vengeance against evil can be a virtuous and necessary response.
Why Hashem caused Moshe to forget the halakha when confronted by Zimri, and for it to be recalled by Pinchas.
Judaism focuses primarily on this world, not the next one.
Like the haftarot for this special season, which begin with rebuke and end with comfort , our collective Jewish story is one of shared struggle and hope.
Love Truth and Peace will set us on the road to salvation.
Hashem Echad, God’s Unity in the Quantum Field.
Plots and characters in the Torah portend what lies in store for the Jewish people. Balaam tried cursing the Jews - and it might be a good idea for the Israel demonizers to note what happened to him.
Hashem wants the world to be developed, not just populated.
The Sara Litton z”l Monthly Emunah Essay for Tammuz.
It is difficult to exaggerate the value of Herzl’s work for the Jewish people and the realization of the vision of redemption.
How? How do we retain the flame within, how do we retain our holiness, our sacred light despite the gloom by which we are engulfed?
You will have to search - but if you search, you will find the consolation, the ever-so-subtle hint that Torah, Jewish history, has not come to its end.
Why is it appropriate to mention the Land of Israel as part of the Av Harachim prayer for those martyred to sanctify G-d's Name? Divrei Torah from young Religious Zionist Torah scholars.
Salvation often grows from within crisis. What seems like delay or darkness is really a hidden advance toward the light.
On the ultimate meaning of Jewish existence.
When we do things right, dwelling alone expresses itself in our commitment to our unique mission as Klal Yisrael rather than in our isolation.
The introductory phrase that tells us that Bilaam “Raised his declaration” appears to be unnecessary, as well as a somewhat mystifying description of what occurred, and is noticed by the commentaries.
By anticipating our national destiny — by dreaming of it, speaking of it, praying for it — we nurture the seed. with the power to help bring it to fruition.
This parasha actually ends the era of Moses and opens the era of Joshua. It opens the gates to the Land of Israel with all its blessings and challenges.
The aim of Balak and Bilam to create division among Israel did not succeed. The enemies of Israel today, who seek to dispossess us of our Land and to destroy us, also understand what Balak and Bilaam understood.
Living a 3,300 year-old prophesy in our times, hoping the second part comes to pass as well.
As we chant the Torah portion this week, it is our privilege and duty to thank G-d for the magnificent miracles we experienced in our lifetimes. They are of the same caliber as biblical miracles and like the blessings recited by the Bilam, except that we were privileged to witness them.
Our Sages took care to maintain this separation, enacting decrees so that we do not mingle with the nations, such as forbidding their wine, lest we thereby come close to their daughters, and the like.
Because of the ongoing political-military-religious fireworks our concentration becomes distorted, and we are often oblivious to that factor which is closest to us, namely - ourselves.
Clarifying some of the laws of modesty in an interview with Rabbi Mordechai Tzion.
The Torah only forbids magic because it tries to short-circuit Divine justice.
Could Bilam really wreak havoc on the Jews? What exactly is the power of a curse? Can a human by the mere verbalization of certain words effectuate changes in the real world?
A donkey that can talk is not an original invention for the Shrek movie; we are actually going to read about it in the portion of the week.
Torah is not a series of logic games and intellectual exercises. It’s simply following G-d’s commands.
Following the loss of the tradition of placing techelet in tzitzit, there are disputes and doubts that we have no possibility to resolve.
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.
Whether in the world of mitzvot or in the circuitry of electricity, the journey from possibility to actuality follows a similar path.
The joy over the star of the movie Superman being Jewish is misplaced. Halakhically, he really isn't Jewish, unless he converts.
What was so terrible about hitting the rock?
Kadesh is a place that can be the scene of a great sanctification of God’s name - or of a great desecration. The Israelites learned great lesson there.
Have you ever been bitten by a "venomous snake"? Poisoned by harmful people, burnt by life, or by abusive situations? These are good questions that cannot be answered easily. But one perspective is presented in the story of the serpents.
It is impossible to deduce what God truly wants simply by observing the ways of the world. Our service of God can only be guided by those directives which God explicitly transmitted through His Torah.
‘This is truly ‘a gift’ - as our parsha promises - to become like a well of flowing water - of Torah.’
Haym Salomon, an observant Jew, was a hero of America's 1776 Revolutionary War.
This Mitzvah serves to illuminate to us that the Torah, at its core, is divine wisdom.
Why doesn’t Hashem simply suspend the attack of the serpents without introduction of this strange symbol?
This new generation is the generation of life. Parashat Parah Adumah is written here to symbolize the purity and the life that will begin at the end of the wilderness generation, which is dead.
The section on the Red Heifer, teaching purification from the impurity of death, is a preventive measure, a spiritual remedy for the inner trauma of the anticipated encounter with death in Israel’s wars for its Homeland.
Today marks my father’s yahrtzeit. Later in the day we will visit his resting place on the Mount of Olives The view there is spectacular and you don’t have to worry about alligators devouring the body the way you do in Boca Raton where my parents lived before I brought them on Aliyah.
Just as we are told to take a leap of faith about the commandments, so are we asked to take a leap of trust about life's events. It is easier, however, to take the leap of faith than the leap of trust.
In Chukat, the snake on the pole was not magic. It was a mirror.
Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef visits the Hostage Families Forum Headquarters and met with the families of the hostages who continue to be held in Gaza.
Speech is the currency of connection, and has the power to work in ways both good and bad.
The Canaanite king of Arad had an Amaekite goal. He fought Israel attempting to annihilate them, and took captives. History repeats itself.
With so many men dead, who would tell the youth about yetzias Mitzrayim?
Rashi seems to be saying that the sin of Moshe consisted in his deviating from the command of Hashem to speak to the rock instead of hitting it. But why would Moshe, the faithful servant, not do exactly what he was told?
Is it proper to recite a blessing on the military success in Iran? Is it correct to define what happened there as a miracle?
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 Rebbe spoke out against proposed agreements to surrender pieces of the Land of Israel to foreign sovereignty.
'Genuine holiness is an altruistic striving for good for its own sake, not out of self-interest.'
If we are willing to face a painful truth, we can learn a very important lesson from this. There is no guarantee that a very learned person will also be a great Tzadik (righteous person).
The primary quality of a Kohen Gadol, of a High Priest, of a man of G-d, is his or her ability to transform lifeless sticks into living orchards. In tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, for His 31st Yartzeit.
During the generation leading up to the Churban, the wickedness of women was even more pronounced than that of men. What could explain such a drastic shift?
The State of Israel is saving the world from the tyrants of destruction in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza. Israel gave the United States the courage to help destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Where does this courage come from?
Moshe understood that this effort on the part of Korach in reality stood to undermine the entire Torah
The existence of the State, in and of itself, is a mitzvah, and transgressions performed within it do not invalidate its sanctity.
Did the intelligent Korach not feel the contradiction in his words?
Rabbi Kook zt”l saw in the mindset and approach of Cain and Korach the essence of a deceptive religiosity — an outward display of piety while being inwardly consumed with jealousy and hatred.
Korach confused what we are with what we should be.
Iran will remain a world threat because the U.S. and Israel did not finish the job in the fashion dictated in the Torah. But we must recognize that Trump made up for FDR's refusal to bomb the tracks leading to Auschwitz.
Leadership is an act of service.
Rabbi Micha Halevy, Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikva and head of the Ateret Nehemiah Yeshiva, was asked why, if we have faith in G-d, we turned to the United States to help in our war effort against the Iranian enemy. Here is his answer:
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 last piece addressed our relationships with peers — including spouses, friends, and family. In addition to those relationships, we should also have meaningful relationships with the generations that precede and follow our own.
Israel did not ask "whether" but "how." And with reliance on G-d's help, that question was answered by its brave fighters, with President Trump giving the final hammer blows. Reading parashat Shlach, we can see that this is what the spies did not do.
The white expresses the kindness and the supreme divine conduct, and the color techelet expresses the judgment that is revealed in the world. About the fascinating issue of techelet, and the deep spiritual element within it.
When we look to the last Book, in the Torah, V'Zot HaBracha, we find a simultaneous phenomenon mentioned as well—a tag-team phenomenon involving pilots in the air, soldiers on the field, and soldiers in the tents.
We should learn from Tzelofchad’s mistake, and stay focused on that which is enduring and eternal, and not confuse the way-station for the final destination.
A message of appreciation for the "B'nei Yisrael" - the children of the State of Israel.
There are currently more than 100,000 Israelis abroad, stranded in dozens of countries ever since this current war closed the airspace above Israel. Yet the overriding concern of all these Israelis abroad is how to come home despite the missiles from Iran.
In discouraging aliyah to Israel, the spies did not have Emunah. In other matters, they did believe. They believed, and yet they didn’t believe.
Tikkun for the sin of the spies is realizing that there are absolutely no justifiable reasons to settle outside the Land of Israel. It's time to take the step.
On the most basic level, the Sin of the Spies was that they were overcome by fear and communicated their despair to the nation. The lessons of this episode are very relevant to the current situation.
It’s safer in the Beis Medrash. It’s safer in exile-mode. It’s spiritually cleaner to stay away from politics, from armies, from national responsibility. Just what the spies wanted.
Your primary interest should be to create a pleasant environment for others to enjoy. And that message is in the words of Hashem to Moshe.
Answering an age-old question: Why does the story of the spies follow the story of Miriam's punishment for slander?
Large-scale construction in Judea and Samaria will positively impact the entire country. Precious time is being wasted.
Yes, the desert with its manna and Divine Presence is more conducive to spirituality but this is not the Divine goal. The goal of the Torah is to build the Kingdom of God in the earthly realm with all its challenges
The spies misunderstood the nature of their mission.
“So the king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month — that is, the month of Sivan — on the twenty-third day of it; and it was written according to all that Mordechai commanded…” (Esther 8:9). And the 23rd of Sivan is tomorrow.
If our religion cannot accommodate anguish, then it is not the faith of Israel. But it can. And it must.
Give thanks to God, for He is good, for His mercy is forever.
From the words of the Chachamim it is clear that the Redemption process will never come to an end, despite possible setbacks.
Will we hit Iran hard to simply teach them a lesson, or will we eradicate the evil once-and-for-all? The decision is in our hands.
‘This was the severity of their transgression, that: it was not meat that they desired, but that they desired desire.
We are meant to assist and impact others, and we are similarly assisted and affected by them.
The Torah tells us this very week that we need to fear. We need to blow the trumpets, and G-d will save us.
Whether you are following the war on Fox News or on INN, you are watching the “salvation of Hashem!”
Praying for Israel's success.
In this week's Torah reading: “Rise up, Hashem! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.”
Dreams, Rav Kook wrote, perform a vital function in the world. Great dreams are the very foundation of the universe.
The Iranian enemy is like a snake which bites without any benefit to itself, it comes solely from the desire to harm and destroy.
There are three pedagogical lights in teaching. (A) Teach the material. (B) Train students to research and study independently. (C) Inspire students to love learning.
Our sources deal with the spiritual aspects of naming a child - boy or girl.
A prophet’s words are not his own.
There are times when we must be able to control our urge to criticize.
The Sara Litton z”l Monthly Emunah Essay .
Read Rabbi Kook's proclamation to Diaspora Jewry.
The observer’s interpretation helps define the reality that results, both in Torah and quantum mechanics. The mikvah and the prohibition of kilayim are examples.
May our Elders today be saved from making the same mistakes as those made in the past when the exaltedness of Jewish valor in war was looked upon lightly and not recognized as an essential component of Torah.
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.
There is a commandment to love every Jew as even if he transgresses many sins as he has not left the general community of Israel. But yhere is no obligation to love sinners who have removed themselves from the general community of Israel.
The Sages debate the exact nature of the positive effect of the Sotah waters.
The words of the Blessing of the Kohanim reverberate.
Fear not your power.
Shimon HaTzaddik addresses the more fundamental question of why the world exists.
The ultimate CHOK, which is beyond all human understanding, is the day-to-day lives we lead in Eretz Yisrael, with our phenomenal success in all walks of life.
There are many potential factors that could rob a person of the full benefits of the numerous blessings that might have come his way.
Every time the kohen steps up to the podium, raises his arms, and locks his fingers, G-d’s passionate love for us is aroused.
The Kohen loves the people and they, in turn, love him.
A boxer who tested male but last year won a gold medal in Paris as a woman and punched a female boxer so hard she gave up after 46 seconds, has put the whole insane issue in the limelight again despite Trump's no nonsense declaration. A reminder of the Torah view is sorely needed, especially when progressive clergy distort it.
This week’s parsha, Naso, contains a passage so familiar that its poetry sometimes hides its depth: the Priestly Blessing. What is its message?
This debate is not just philosophical—it is playing out today in Israeli society.
Abstinence leads to holiness but isn’t holiness itself.
Just as certain vineyards and crops needs specific geographical locations and conditions to promote their utmost growth, so too the Jewish People can only reach the ultimate in Divine Attachment in the Land of Israel, said Rabbi Yehuda Halevy.
Ruth is surely worthy of becoming King David's great-grandmother.
The true leader leads by example.
A talk with Rabbi David Samson about his new English series of commentaries on the meditative path of the Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Abulafia. "It’s as if Rav Kook bequeathed to us the map of the territory, and Rabbi Abulafia handed me the compass and walking stick."
The incredible loss & recovery of the most authoritative Tanach manuscript, the Aleppo Codex (Keter Aram Tzova).
'Blessed is the all-Merciful One, Who gave the threefold Torah: Torah, Prophets, and Writings, to the three-fold nation: Priests, Levites, and Israelites, by means of a third-born: Moses...in the third month, Sivan.
Without the Torah the world could not have fulfilled its destiny. Laws for Shavuot.
Hasidic thought explains that Shavuot is not only a time of learning but a time of heart repair.
The Jewish people sought to uncover and emphasize every individual’s personal strengths, and thus chose banners for each tribe, but no banners flew over the central Tent of Meeting.
Explaining the Torah we received on Shavuot when observed in the Holy Land as it is meant to be..
We can glean from the sacrifice of the day a poignant perspective as to how to relate to the learning of the Torah.
There are many explanations as to the significance of deserts, of wildernesses, within our tradition.
With an unpredictable, albeit pro-Israel, president in the US, this is the time to make aliya - do not postpone it!
Torah commentaries address the reason for the small number of levites when compared to every other tribe.
When we read the Torah portion this Shabbat about transforming individuals into a group and a desert into a city, let’s take the message to heart.
Although we all know that we are merely one of billions, we want to feel that our lives matter, that we mean more than just “the average Joe.” How can we do that?
The fourth Book of the Torah begins on a certain high note, but turns out to be the saddest and most disappointing in the entire Torah. On the other hand, it has high points.
In a moving and empowering Shavuot message, renowned Torah teacher Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi shares deep insights into the heart of the festival.
Rabbi David Yosef, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, offers a profound lesson on the spiritual essence and traditions of the festival.
Moshe didn't use his position to advance his children’s careers.
Torah recognized the concept of entanglement and its effects long before modern science gave it a name.
A single letter in Torah captures the story of five millennia.
This special prayer, which the Shlah told parents to recite on the day before the new month of Sivan, beautifully expresses a parent's appeal on behalf of their beloved children.
The Jewish people were particularly drawn to the Enlightenment movement, and gave it their energy and talent. Unfortunately, most Jews abandoned Israel’s unique vision, and stopped observing Torah and commandments . To bring them back to repentance, we must appreciate their aspirations and desires.
Why should a handful of young Jews living on the mountains of Biblical Israel make officials in the U.S. State Department pressure the Government of Israel to tear down these makeshift dwellings?
There is much to learn from the name Yerushalayim, which is actually a combination of two different names of the holy city.
When future historians come to write of our era, they will write of all the miracles but they will also discover another hidden miracle.
Great and formative events have occurred in Israel’s history, but there is always concern that the next generation— who did not experience the events firsthand—will forget them or lose the values and lessons derived from them. That is why Jerusalem Day was established.
Even today, not only in the past, the eternity and the glory of God are revealed in Jerusalem (Daniel 9) as a result of Israel’s victories.
Many of our brethren in the Diaspora are waiting for Mashiach to come and build the Beit HaMikdash. But the order of events is otherwise. First they have to come and then Mashiach will arrive to finish the work, may it be soon.
Why was the formal proclamation of the Jubilee year postponed until Yom Kippur?
The shmita year reminds the Jewish people that they are slaves of G-d, and therefore everything they own should be used to serve Him, whether land or people.
D’var Torah for Parshat Behar: Ramban says that Yovel, the Jubilee year in our parasha, means taking something forward.
Hey, Elias, if you cared for children in Gaza, why didn't you fly to Ben Gurion airport, cut over to Gaza, and enlist at the local Hamas recruiting office? Opinion.
The full solution is in the parsha this week.
The Torah commentator, the Alshich Hakadosh, bothered by this very issue, offers, that Shemittah astoundingly serves as the rebuttal to the claims of the Jew-haters and fools that sneer at our right to the land of Israel, and claim that the land of Israel was stolen by the Jews.
Yes, there is an unbreakable bond between Hashem and the Jewish people.
A person who is not subjugated to Torah - but to his possessions and his wealth - can not observe the mitzvah of shemita, whilst he still feels that he is the master of his fields.
And a call to rebuild a House of Prayer for the Nations, as prophesied.
We might be seeing now the beginning of the period where one evil nation wages war on another evil one, while in the background their countries are being ravaged by Hashem’s manipulation of natural disasters.
The Torah says that during the exile of the Jewish people, as they wandered the ends of the Earth, the Land of Israel will be desolate and barren, unable to support large thriving populations. And then comes the next part.
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.
This parsha contains the secret to overcoming anxiety and self-doubt.
In moments of personal hardship, it is natural to wonder: Why am I not being rewarded for my efforts? The Torah’s answer is painful, but empowering.
A radical compromise to the IDF draft controversy. Op-ed
Indeterminacy, as in the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, overturns the old, classical idea of a perfectly predictable, clockwork universe and shows that chance and possibility are woven into the very structure of reality.
In recent generations, human consciousness has developed and expanded greatly, while the study and clarification of faith has not been sufficiently established to cope with it. The more we clarify faith and refine the guidance of the Torah, the more faith in God and His Torah will return to beat in hearts.
What is the nature of the Jewish people? Is the nation merely the combined contribution of each individual Jew? Or are the Jewish people as a whole a national collective with its own special holiness?
Though we are once again sovereign in our ancestral homeland for the first time since the days of Queen Shlom-Zion, the murderers still stalk us. And though tragedy strikes, we are in an incomparably better situation than we have been at any time since Queen Shlom-Zion.
Torah commentaries weigh in on the philosophic and practical issue of the difference between Shabbat and the other festivals and why Shabbat is mentioned with them despite that.
Why Reb Shimon ben Yoachai's passing came to be known as a "Wedding,"
It is taught that on the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon taught secrets of the Torah that had never been heard before.
This ability, to see the good even in something that appears faulty, is what God demanded of Moses before he could redeem Israel, and likewise of Isaiah. When Rachel saw this trait in Akiva, she chose to marry him.
Not only Rashbi, but all those who follow in his path throughout the generations, especially in our generation, the generation of revival and the ingathering of exiles - whether they are aware of it or not - are sustained by the merit of his and their self-sacrifice.
There is a clear distinction between what is expected of the ordinary Jew and what is demanded of the Kohen.
Judaism is supposed to be a springboard, not a crutch.
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 pernicious disease of disrespect continues to infect our times. Disdain of others can also lead to demonization and baseless hatred of the sort that led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Let us overcome it.
The Talmud teaches that it is impossible to come to the Land of Israel without difficulties and suffering. Learning the secrets of Torah is the remedy. Read
Rabbi Akiva refused to see suffering as the end of the story, hopefully we can learn from his perspective and find hope in the ashes.
Questions of faith in our generation regarding foreign cultures and religions are becoming increasingly significant and widespread. Last week, the new book “Faith and Its Commandments” was published in two volumes as part of the “Peninei Halakha” series.
From the incense-filled sanctuaries of ancient Jerusalem to the comforting aroma of spices at the close of Shabbat, scent remains our most direct link between earth and heaven, body and soul.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as embodiments of God's divine attributes.
The danger when my comfort zones and fears become my god.
During the British Mandate, the Jews of Eretz Yisrael were no more united than they are today.
We live in a world that regards food, along with sexuality, as ends in themselves rather than as means. Judaism says something else about our needs.
Commentaries weigh in on what exactly this prohibition means.
This is not a world one can describe because one can only experience it from within oneself. In this world, we lose the very self to the magnetic pull of profound oneness.
What can connect the disparate commandments in Parashat Kedoshim?
Young Religious Zionist Torah scholars connect the weekly Torah reading with the Land of Israel.
A clarification of the many false claims made about Herzl, some of which caused the Haredi community to look askance upon Religious Zionism for its appreciation of Herzl’s dedication and bold Zionist endeavors.
The dangers of misguided zeal: Lessons from Nadav and Avihu
Stubbornness can lead us to, or away from, Hashem.
This prophetic message of the Return to Zion in the Haftorah was tailor-made for this Shabbat, falling between Yom ha-Atzma’ut and Yom Herut Yerushalayim.
During WWII, we begged the major ally nations to use their air forces to bomb the concentration camps, today the world is holding its breath and counting the minutes until our Israeli Air Force bombs the Iranians after it has already bombed the Houthis!
In reality, the kashrut standards maintained in the army today are often more stringent than those of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and, in fact, often rival those of the mehadrin kashrut agencies.
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.
We are talking about the situation of entire Jewish communities ensconced in the darkness of exile, believing that it is perfectly OK to live in Gentile countries. But it is not OK.
It is very important to emphasize this confidence, because some, lacking faith, are frightened that the State of Israel will not endure, Heaven forbid.
The Redemption is gradual, it relates to the increase in light, yet it is also possible that within this process there will be times of great darkness.
If you want to be a better parent, you must first become a better person.
What if the key to our future is hidden in the very essence of our identity—Torah, Land, and People? Op-ed.
The beautiful connection between spiritual law and scientific discovery reminds us that everything in the universe is connected to Torah and vice versa.
Leadership is where a person takes responsibility where others are not present…
‘Why are the periods of impurity - and then purity - of the mother who gives birth to a girl, double the periods where she gives birth to a male?’
There are striking parallels betwee the metzora's prodedures and those of the Nation of Israel...
There was an incredible atmosphere at the annual Yom Ha'atzmaut service, organized by Bnei Akiva UK and hosted by Finchley United Synagogue.
We don’t have tzaraat blotches in the modern day, but the dynamics haven’t changed. While many things change, history repeats itself because human nature never changes.
It is time for the Haredim to come out of the cold and recognize the wisdom of Hashem in history and the great potential that this Medina brings to all parts of Am Yisrael.
In a panic the Arameans fled, as we read in this Shabbat's haftarah - and the Arabs did the same in the War of Independence, linking the two.
The Rokeach [and Nachal Kedumim] point out, that Yitzchak lived one year for each hour of his existence until Avraham circumcised him-thus, he lived 180 years.
As we set out to celebrate seventy-seven years of the State of Israel, we must ponder and observe with our own eyes the reality in which we live, through the vision of the Prophets of Israel and the vision of Ezekiel specifically.
Hashem intends for us to fight for ourselves and strengthens our efforts, but only if we recognize that our strength comes from Him.
A poem connects the Israelites of old with the early settlers of what was to become the State of Israel.
Israel's first Chief Rabbi appreciated secular Jews for playing a crucial part in returning to the land, but believed that the nation’s complete renewal will only come about when Zionism is restored to its original holiness.
The process of redemption will unfold in such a way that initially, Israel will return to their Jewish identity, ascend to the Land, and settle it.
A metzora must control his instincts and forswear selfishness.
The joy doesn’t come from the war itself, which is an evil matter, abounding in personal suffering and pain. The joy comes from the great Kiddush Hashem which fills our emotions and longings,
This Yom Hazikaron, Torah Mitzion honors the life, spirit, and legacy of Rabbi Avraham Yosef (Avi) Goldberg Hy"d, a true model of Torah, leadership, and heroism.
A heartbroken cry in 1947 becomes a clarion call and prophecy in 1967, as HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook rejoices over the State of Israel even though it is not perfect. And on each Yom HaAtzmaut he danced with great joy.
Why we don't make matzah the year round food, pushing chametz aside, and trying for maximum holiness.
Six, seven, eight and nine - what ideas do they signify?
The Palestinian Arabs are, as usual, fighting the upcoming Jerusalem Day parade. Op-ed.
When we immerse ourselves in water, we are forced to recognize our existential estrangement from the physical universe.
Better an ugly truth than a beautiful lie.
Young Religious Zionist Torah scholars study connections between the weekly Torah portion and the holy land.
Parashat Shmini opens on the eighth day, the 1st of Nissan.
“Chazer Treif” is a Yiddish expression that describes something which is absolutely and completely non-kosher. The use of this description goes well beyond the kitchen...
Despite the tragedy in the parasha and a similar one in the haftarah, the joyous celebrations at the time continued. How could they find the inner strength?
Judaism calls on us to serve G-d, not our own whims.
We yearn for the day - just as David did – when God will grant us respite from our enemies. But now, when we are fighting for our nation's life, may a Cohen who is a combat soldier in the IDF bless the congregation?
Why did Aaron have to be convinced to approach the altar?
Our sages wondered why the Exodus is mentioned specifically in response to avoiding insects.
We can suggest that the foundation of the entire Torah rests on the declaration of pure and simple faith that we proclaim twice a day—“Shema Yisrael, Ad-onai Elo-henu Ad-onai Echad”, which, when done properly, empowers the Jewish people to defeat the machinations of the Yetzer Hara.
The story of Moroccan Jews on Victory Day over Nazi Germany, as described by Rabbi Yosef Mashash, zt"l, is a testament to the way in which world history unfolded in Jewish neighborhoods in North Africa. We must pass on this legacy - not only as another chapter of Holocaust history, but as a foundation for a broader Jewish identity.
Those who fought and those who went to their deaths with heads held high. All are holy.
Remembering the tragedies of the past, while extremely significant, provides no protection against their being repeated.
Just as there were crises on the eighth day when the Mishkan was erected, so too in our times, when we have been privileged to establish our national home, there are national and personal crises.
Somehow, children relate best to personal examples. The father’s truth is passed on to his child, and the child feels as though, in some way, this was also his own personal experience.
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 revealed side of the Torah is the foundation for this deeper learning, but the revealed side is not the Torah’s end.
So much has changed, yet so much of it seems so familiar... The crisis demonstrated that despite progress toward emancipation in Western Europe, ancient prejudices remained potent.
At the end of a long and wonderfully fulfilling festival, we don’t just want to put it behind us. The Miouna keeps the festival spirit alive, but we have to keep it in our hearts as well.
Rabbi Charlap: “If I had to name the worst disaster that could befall me it would be to leave the Land of Israel for Chutz L’Aretz."
And what does it teach us about faith?
We are ready for a new-old consciousness.
Over 200,000 pounds of Matzah and combat-friendly “Seder kits” - and that's for starters.
The saga of renewed Jewish life in Chevron, led by the intrepid American olah, Miriam Levinger.
But aren't we already there? Are we being ungrateful?
After the cleaning, shopping and the Seder, we have ahead of us - the Intermediate Days, the last day of Pesach, Counting the Omer - and if you haven't yet, the blessing on trees. Moadim Lesimcha!
The story of the Exodus says that God fights his people's oppressors at the Red Sea. Now, it is our turn to fight for freedom.
“We are confronted with a singular phenomenon. The Almighty has paved the way for the return to Zion through people who have cast off the yoke of Torah and mitzvot. Can we possibly deny that their accomplishments in rebuilding the land," - Rav Soloveitchik zts"l.
‘We didn’t know you people have such unbreakable spirit and resolve,’ the KGB commander said.
Why Clear Out Chametz?
The Rational Child, the Depressed Child, the Selfish Child, and the Apathetic Child. G-d believes in the youth. You must too!
Young Religious Zionist Torah scholars find connections between the week's Torah portion and Eretz Yisrael.
Rabbi Kook teaches that we are called upon to remove the “chametz” of foreign cultures and foreign idolatries from our hearts and be free of their influence.
MY FOREVER RELEVANT PESACH TALE.
Judaism flourishes in light, not darkness.
The essence of Pesach is the aspect of renewal, novelty- see how Rashi carries the theme through the intricacies of halakhah.
The Todah (the last offering we will read about before Pesach) in Parashat Tsav and the Korban Pesach both convey the same ideology. When G-d sends His salvation, we are obligated to celebrate it. There were also visible and societal connections between the two offerings.
On Pesach night, we were chosen, and history was never the same.
One can see that a change has taken place in Israeli society since the start of the current war. Vast numbers are returning to tradition, returning to the synagogue, returning to the Sabbath and to the weekly portion, returning to the sources, returning to themselves.
The daily lifting of the ash, which was performed by the Kohen as part of the Temple service, did not serve the practical purpose of keeping the Altar clean. What then was the objective of this Mitzvah?
There are two explanations that we can offer our children at the Seder for our celebration.
D’var Torah ahead of Pesach.
The Zohar refers to matzah, the quintessential food of Pesach, as the bread of faith. Nissan, and specifically Pesach, thus becomes a crucial time to explore and cultivate this active art of emunah.
The miracle of the angel of death passing over the Jewish houses teaches us a momentous lesson.
Let us recognize that we are children of royalty, a nation whose eternal destiny is freedom, that Israel is neither a servant nor a home-born slave, nor an object of contempt.
Though we had no merits - ‘no פתח no opening’ - Hashem still redeemed us.
A different way of looking at the four sons in the context of recent hisory - with a twist in discussing the third one.
Reflections on the profundity of the first night of Passover,
Only one letter separates chametz from matza. What does this signify?
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.
With the Jewish reoccupation of our homeland forbidden, we needed a ceremony and a text to commemorate Pesach, but how could we get it past the Roman censors?
Why can’t we have a speedy redemption like the one from Mitzrayim?
The Sages of the Great Sanhedrin were the leading Rabbis of the time, yet the Torah defines a situation where even they can make an error of judgment.
We do not have that inevitability of simply blossoming into beauty. Our destiny is not inevitably stamped into our flowering. We have the freedom, the responsibility, to choose.
When the 14th of Nisan falls on Shabbat, the chametz is checked with a blessing on the night of the 13th of Nisan. On Friday, the chametz is burned. More below.
The offerings of the Jewish people aspire to a far greater objective that of Noah who also brought offerings to Hashem.
Why is it appropriate that we begin reading this Book on the Shabbat of the month of redemption (whether Nissan or Adar)?
Where would we and humanity be without the spirit awakened in the Exodus? What can your future look like with it?
Why does the Torah feature the Mincha immediately after the Olah, right before the Shelamim, rather than after all four of the animal korbonot?
What is the difference between the two sin offerings and is there a psychological insight in that difference?
Not everyone merits to attain the upper part of the Torah, the concealed Torah which is in the hands of Hashem - however, every Jew is obliged to engage in the other two ‘lower’ parts of the Torah - the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, which are in alluded to as 'saying’ and ‘speaking’.
When you give ten thousand dollars to charity, do you think about how much gratitude you deserve or how grateful you are to help?
A korban shelamim is the quintessential “Jewish” offering.
The letter alef (א) at the end of the word ויקרא is written smaller than the rest of the word. Many explanations have been given for this unusual phenomenon, but the Zohar's is an entire way of looking at the commandments.
The Haftorah for the Shabbat of Pesach is the Vision of the Bones. For Jews, the Exile is not life, but only a place of survival like dry bones until we return to Zion.
We do not enlist in the army as a favor to anyone or to serve the needs of particular individuals. Enlisting in the IDF is a mitzvah! Our participation in the IDF is not an act of voluntary goodwill—it is a fulfillment of God's command!
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 matzah comes to remind us of faith, and therefore its entire process of preparation must be done with great care. One must guard the matzot designated for the Seder night in a special manner so that they do not become chametz.
Remember: "Dirt is not chametz and children are not the Pesach sacrifice,"
The Torah prohibits the murder of and theft from any human being. In addition, we should act respectfully towards every human being because we are all created in Hashem’s image.
The Land of Israel belongs to all of the Jewish People. Not only all the Jews living in Israel must rise up to defend it.All of us are called upon to take part.
Connections between the Torah portion and the Holy Land, collected by young Religious Zionist Torah scholars.
Based on the teachings of Israel's first Chief Rabbi and Founder of Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rav Avraham Yitschak HaCohen Kook zts"l.
G-d Craved to Dwell in Your Nervous System and Heart,
In order for the Korban Pesach, or any sacrifice, to have the intended spiritual impact on us, it must reflect the place we find ourselves.
We, the Jewish nation, reckon our national calendar from Nissan.
Given that so much of our historical national suffering has been caused by the inability of people to work together and demonstrate respect for one another, the cooperation in building the mishkan is a great achievement in its own right.
The Kohanim possessed the codes which bring the light and blessing of Hashem to all humanity and to every created thing on Earth. Without the Beit HaMikdash, however, all of humanity is like an orphan.
We, with the benefit of hindsight, can only be in awe of the divine revelations that were expressed by our great commentators, and how accurately history has borne out the events that were foretold in their writings.
Commentators weigh in on why the greatest of Prophets could not enter the Tabernacle after it was put up - see the end of the Book of Exodus.
We have no option but to succeed in revealing the hidden sanctity in the inanimate stones of Hashem’s holy land and in the deep recesses of our Jewish souls.
About the accounting we must make every so often to clear up unsettled issues.
Moshe Rabeinu is the spiritual leader who relies on the direct light from Hashem but he realizes that sometimes we should use the shadows instead.
Our care for others reminds us of existences beyond our own.
A work that demonstrates how scientific understanding can deepen one's appreciation of the Mishnah and, by extension, Hashem's creation. Review.
The Seder starts with the paragraph about Matzah called Ha Lachma Anya. The Torah calls Matzah "Lechem Oni" - which we translate as "the bread of affliction." But there is more to the word than that.
Clothes have the power to change us.
Moshe Rabeinu served in the army; Yehoshua served in the army; King David served in the army. These holy heroes of the nation were great in military prowess and great in Torah.
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 blessing should be recited over homes in regions where significant effort is still required to uphold the mitzvah of settling the Land, such as homes along the northern border, and near the Gaza Strip—especially when residents return after an extended period of abandonment. (At end: microwave ovens on Pesach)
Thanks to the fallen soldiers of the IDF, the people of Israel live! Thanks to those brave soldiers who risked their lives for the rebirth of Israel, the State of Israel exists!
The prohibition against the homosexual act is clearly stated in the Torah. While that does not mandate ostracizing anyone, allowing an LGBT club is tantamount to approval of a way of life that is forbidden. Opinion..
The infinite availability of information and the complexity of spiritual questions require deep and creative thinking from parents and educators.
In the absence of the Temple, perhaps we can pray that the ascension of the purest souls of Israel, the Bibas babes, was a kapara for the sake of the nation. We do not know the ways of Hashem.
What is the difference between wisdom, insight, and knowledge? How do they apply both to the Creator of the universe and to the human artist?
As we prepare for Pesach, let’s pray that the faith and inspiration of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Agam Berger, wives of reservists, and the many other righteous women of today merit our redemption, just as our foremothers’ faith merited our ancestors’ redemption.
One question: Why Did Esther Not Refute Haman’s Vile Accusations against the Jews?
How can I accept irrational commandments?
Although we currently are lacking the Beit Hamikdash, we still have the beauty and joy of Shabbat to invigorate our souls.
‘The men needed to donate their ornaments to atone for their souls; but the women who did not want to give their ornaments for the calf did not require atonement. ‘Why, then, should the women give their ornaments?
The sanctity of Am Yisrael does not stem from the individual alone but from each person’s ability to contribute to the greater good.
The Maftir for this Shabbat reminds all Jews of the necessity to purify themselves in readiness for Pesach. But why the chosen Haftarah?
Leading rabbinic authorities, from the Vilna Gaon to Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, have emphasized that the mitzvah is as binding today as ever.
"Ain;t gonna work on Saturday" is a much loved children's song . But why does the Torah forbid some non-strenuous activities on Shabbat?
Look at a map of ancient Israel and compare it to where the IDF is today - and where it may be soon.
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.
Asking AI halakhic questions is tricky at best. It has been found to fabricate sources, cannot take the situation of the questioner into account, and much more. But does that mean we should leave the field open to charlatans who mislead intentionally?
We need to expand all of the mind’s intellectual capabilities in order to fulfill the rule of “a healthy mind in a healthy body” on a spiritual level.
When we say G-d is asleep, we mean that He conducts the affairs of life in ways that make no sense to us.
’The wealthy shall not increase and the indigent shall not decrease’ - why?
If we look at the Megillah characters and their behaviors, each choice and action can teach us a lesson for our own lives.
When we jump to today’s time, we’re fighting an enemy who is not even called a man in the Torah. Their essence is pure savagery.
Those living in the time of the Purim story did not see G-d's plan as we do.
The establishment of the State of Israel restored the Jewish People’s sense of honor. The Sages of Israel, after the miracle of Purim, decreed that cities walled since the days of Joshua should celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar “for the honor of the Land of Israel.”
The holiday of Purim encompassing the miracle, the salvation, happiness, the Diaspora, Eretz Yisrael, the Jerusalem Temple and more....
The Talmud cites Reish Lakish (Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish): “It was known and revealed before He by Whose Word the world was created that Haman would one day weigh out the shekalim to annihilate Israel; therefore He placed their shekalim before [Haman’s] shekalim” (Megillah 13b).
Where is Hashem’s partiality for Israel made real in the 167 verses of Megillat Esther?
What did Joseph and Mordechai have in common?
If Purim falls on Friday, the custom is preferably to begin the meal before noon, but there are other possibities (see below). Purim joy was observed even when the Jewish people were in harsh exile It is an answer to suffering, since in Purim we learned that even evil will eventually turn to good, so it is the greatest joy of all
The stories of Moshe, Eliyahu and Esther reiterate the role of humanity to take responsibility, and for leaders to stay connected to their people.
The battle between Haman and Mordechai is the primeval, age-old battle between Amalek and Torah, between lust and morality, over which is the foundation of the world, and it began in the Garden of Eden.
A primer for observing the joyous holiday, keeping its four commandments and those that are connected to it, including the amazing rules on what to do in Jerusalem when Shushan Purim falls on Shabbat as it does this year.
Interview with a rabbi who studied with him for twelve years: "HaRav Tzvi Yehuda vehemently maintained that no handful of Israeli soil, however small, is allowed to be transferred to foreign control."
Why did Esther not cease hostilities, or in the unforgettable words of former President Joe Biden, “take the win,” after the first day of fighting the enemies of the Jews?
This has been a year of masks: We saw organizations claiming to fight for "human rights" reveal their true faces—showing that they don’t actually care about Jews. We saw women’s rights organizations put on masks and ignore Jewish victims of rape and torture.
Haman's sons would have to have been genuine converts to Judaism in that case. However, we (the Jewish People) do not accept Amalekite converts. Therein lies the paradox explained here by Rav Hutner.
This week Kitah students learned about the struggle between Mordechai and Haman, trying to understand why Mordechai refused to bow down. And they talked about what the miracle teaches us.
Hashem wants mature, robust adults serving Him.
The most critical lesson of Purim that our generation can take from the story of Esther is the need for Jewish Unity, above all else.
Considering Mordechai's central role, it is surprising that the Megillah is named after Esther. Should it not be named after Mordechai?
Thus, the war against Haman was a missed opportunity for national Redemption—a lesson from history that resonates profoundly in our own times.
Imagine the scale of how these two women changed the course of humanity for the good. Imagine what you can do as a mother or a daughter today to change the course of history.
For many, including our politicians and leaders, with the passage of time, the priority of destroying Hamas seems to have become weaker. Parshat Zachor commands us not to let that happen.
The oil is a metaphor for the human intellect. The mind also needs guidance; not every intellectual pursuit leads to ethical and spiritual growth. And what about the spiritual growth of the nation?
It is intriguing that the Torah, usually so concise and sparing with its words, enjoins us both to remember Amalek and not to forget Amalek. But surely the one implies the other!
If October 7 didn't wake you up, what will?
In the face of such evil – to attack the weak and those free of sin without reason and with baseless cruelty, which reminds us of the unlimited Nazi-Hamas hatred – there is only one possible response.
The instrument of speech is a priceless gift to our people to serve Hashem, more so than any of our other organs. The robe was designed to remind us of that.
When we get dressed, we feel awake. When we dress like a professional, we behave professionally. When we dress casually, we behave casually. The same is true for good deeds, the garments of our souls. When we fill our days with good deeds, we create a mindset of goodness.
The kohen’s avnet represents the life we should all live.
Tens of thousands lined the roads in collective mourning for the Bibas family, displaying unparalleled national solidarity—except for the conspicuous absence of one large group.
The reason offered here for the High Priest's special garments connects with an added dvar Torah about choosing a king before erasing Amalek.
Most Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent also worship Buddha statues, which classifies them as non-monotheisic idolators. However, Buddhism itself primarily focuses on calming human desires and achieving a life of tranquility rather than addressing God.
Behavior common in politics stands in stark contrast to the example set by Moshe and the Levites.
Hashem’s revelation of His intimate relationship with the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov was identical to the process of sanctifying Aharon and his sons as Kohanim.
While terrorists are paid to kill, literally, those concerned about the spiritual awakening of our people feel threatened and are trying to stop the inevitable increased adherence to our authentic Jewish way of life!
For the last two thousand years antisemitism or hatred of the Jewish People has come from two main directions, Christianity and Islam.
Young Religious Zionist Torah scholars find connections to Eretz Yisrael in the parasha and othr sources of Judaic knowledge
Was the tachash, whose hides covered the Tabernacle, a kosher animal? Does it matter?
