Rabbi Kenneth Brander

Haftarat “Machar Chodesh":

The Rosh Chodesh Jew

Rosh Chodesh is about enabling connection and conversation. One of the ways this happens is when we reach out to Jews who are different from ourselves, across the lines that divide us.

Jerusalem Liberation Day:

Being worthy of the gift

Our nation’s ability to remain in its land is not a matter of geopolitical strength alone. Israel and Jerusalem have been entrusted to us, but we must act with moral responsibility in order to remain worthy of them.

Haftarat Parshat Emor:

A Priesthood still becoming

In Jewish tradition, the kohen is not merely a Temple functionary; he is a representative of the nation’s deepest aspirations.

Haftarat Paraashat Acharei Mot/Kedoshim

In defense of Jerusalem

How the saintly Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap, rav of the celebrated Beit Knesset HaGra in Jerusalem, acted with regard to the Haftarah when Parashat Kedoshim was read without being preceded by Acharei Mot.

Haftarah for the First Day of Pesach:

One shoe on, one shoe off

Is the Pesach model of redemption rooted in passivity still the paradigm? The haftarah provides the answer.

Parashat Tzav/Shabbat Hagadol:

Redemption begins at home

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.

Not for your sake, but for My Name

This past Shabbat, we witnessed tens of thousands of reservists across Israel change from their Shabbat clothing into the sacred uniform of the IDF. Fathers of young children heard the reading imploring us to remember the cruelty of Amalek, then left their families to answer the call once again.

Haftarat Shabbat Shekalim:

When giving becomes a partnership

King Yehoash shows us that Lasting institutions are built not through transactions, but through trust.

Haftarat Parashat Bo:

Collective responsibility - then and now

Why is it that God killed all the firstborns in Egypt and didn't suffice with simply killing Pharaoh’s firstborn son? The answer is as applicable today as it was then.

Haftarat Parashat Shemot:

Three faces of Redemption

Jewish communities of Ashkenaz, Sepharad, and the Yemenites each read a different prophecy as the haftarah for Parshat Shemot, with each focusing on a distinct aspect of this redemptive process.

Haftarat Parshat Vayigash:

Restoring broken relationships

We have witnessed the resurrection of the dry bones. We have seen the ashes of Auschwitz giving rise to the miracle that is the State of Israel. In the past two years, through trauma, loss, and uncertainty, the Jewish people have survived. But endurance is not the final goal.

The divergence of traditions in selecting a Haftarah

Parashat Vayetzei's Ashkenazi and Sepharadi haftorahs are back to back in the book of Hoshea, but have different themes.

Yaakov and Esav, shoulder to shoulder

Developments in Christian theological thought, and changing attitudes among Jews about engaging with others, may finally have us moving beyond the ancient conflict between Jews and Christians.

Parashat Chayei Sarah:

Leadership and Family

The demands of public service can strain devotion to one’s own family - a tension faced by three of the most important figures in Jewish history: Avraham Avinu (our patriarch), Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher), and David Hamelekh (the king).

Haftarat Parashat Veyera:

Loyalty to God and Family

Our devotion to God does not require that we sacrifice the family relationships most dear to us. On the contrary; true devotion to God demands that we invest in those relationships.

Haftarat Paraashat Noach:

Sprouting from the ashes

The episode of Noach’s drunkenness is a poignant commentary on the difficulty of beginning again in a universe that has seen death and pain. The haftarah and G-d's words to Noach tell us how to begin again today as well.

Haftarah Parashat Vayelech:

To serve or to stumble

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.

Haftarah for the Three Weeks and beyond:

Engaging with the Diaspora

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.

Parashat Chukat and its Haftorah:

The Power of words to break or build

Speech is the currency of connection, and has the power to work in ways both good and bad.

A pressing current question:

Do we find sanctity in withdrawal or engagement?

This debate is not just philosophical—it is playing out today in Israeli society.

Haftarat Behar-Bechukotai

Individual responsibility, collective rewards

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.

Haftarah for Shmini:

Who may bless the congregation?

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?

Haftarat Parshat Pekudei/Hachodesh:

The evolving Korban Pesach

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.

Haftarat Ki-Tisa:

Leadership lessons from Moshe, Eliyahu and Esther

The stories of Moshe, Eliyahu and Esther reiterate the role of humanity to take responsibility, and for leaders to stay connected to their people.

Shabbat Parshat Shkalim:

Giving and receiving

The topic of funds is addressed in this week’s portion, Terumah, as well as in the special maftir reading for Shabbat Shekalim, and in the Haftarah. From these, we learn that there is more than one way to give.

Haftarat Parashat Bo:

Where everybody knows your name

When there is genuine concern for the individual, names hold meaning and serve a purpose.

Haftarah Parashat Vayishlach:

Brothers reunite

By acknowledging our shared history, we can and must begin to build bridges instead of walls.

Lech Lecha:

Does God care? Finding purpose in difficult times

God participates in our personal and national development, taking pride in our advances forward and supporting us when the journey seems arduous.

Etrog & Arava:

Why we need to embrace all Four Species

A unifying story about Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook and his student Rav Yoel Bin Nun.

From memory to action: Reflecting on October 7 and Yom Kippur

How will we remember this chapter of our Jewish story? What narrative will we pass on to our children and grandchildren about that fateful day in October?

Nitzavim-Vayelech

“Not in the Heavens”

Torah is accessible to all.

Parashat Matot-Mas’ei:

The long and winding road

The Torah is our guide through our journeys in the world, and its 42-line pages remind us that just as God led us to 42 stops as we went forward in the desert, God leads us along all our journeys.

Burying Moshe’s trumpets & crafting our own

Why the trumpets, which represent our ingathering, our points of reflection in times of joy and challenge, can’t be reused.

Shavuot: Torah vs. Cheesecake

The everyday, the mundane - these are not the opposite of holiness, but simply the open space that invites holiness in at every moment.

Daniel Perez Hy"d - The Living Bridge between Purim and Pesach

These two holiday episodes in our history share common elements of observance. Both are celebrated through the shared quality of giving. Daniel Perez Hy"d embodied that ideal.

Parshat Tetzaveh: The unity of the gemstones

iI is the combining of the physical and the spiritual facets that are necessary for true redemption and we see it in the IDF soldiers today.

"Cleared for Publication" - The power of a name

Just as discovery of the Divine Name in the Vaera is itself a form of revelation, the release of the names of the fallen opens up to us the inner worlds of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live.

Parshat Vayigash: Letting the tears flow

There is only so long we can put on brave faces without making space for the latent grief and fear within us. Yosef's tears teach us that.

The opportunity and challenge of Jerusalem Day

Jerusalem Liberation Day is a time to rememberr miracles, like the story of the battle for San Simon, but it is alo a time to take stock.

The blessing for eating Chametz on Pesach

I always wondered what God was doing during the Seder at Bergen-Belsen when the Chief Rabbi of Rotterdam instructed Jews to eat chametz.

Pesach in S’dom? Responding to Abuse

The first Passover experience doesn’t happen in Egypt, but happens actually in S’dom. There are, however, similarities.

Helping Agunot and spreading the light of Purim

Rabbi Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, comes to the Arutz Sheva studio to discuss two important initiatives

Why is Rachel the most beloved Matriarch?”

Why is it that Rachel has attained such a unique place in the Jewish People’s collective consciousness?

How will the world remember COVID?”

How many lines will COVID-19 take up in human history?

Shining a light on anonymity

Recognizing the righteous and stopping the bullies.

Horrific alleged gang-rape calls for a moral accounting

The pain of the victim of this senseless act of violence is a pain which every one of us must feel. Opinion.

Transforming adversity into opportunity-The Rebbe and Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress. How the Lubavitcher Rebbe set her on her way.

Becoming the people we want to be

Finding holiness in the ethereal on God’s mountain is easy. Finding it in daily life takes conscious effort.

What does the Torah say about #JewishPrivilege?

'Jewish privilege' can be used sarcastically by Jews to highlight Jewish persecution, but it also poses a very different challenge.

Learning from our mistakes; defeating a pandemic

The Rambam's lesson from our parasha is that learning from our retreats is an integral part of humanity’s zig-zagging journey forward.

Ohr Torah Stone certifies woman as "Morat Hora'ah"

Rabbanit Shira Sapir certified by institute to provide direction in matters of Halakha (Jewish Law)

When the Tents of Jacob aren’t beautiful: Domestic abuse

In our Torah portion, Balak, is the famous blessing from the prophet Bil’am on the Jewish people's homes. But what if it is not the reality?

Lifting every voice: Leadership in a time of unrest

Korach and Chukat are about the leadership G-d wants. It’s not about striking the rock. It’s about speaking truth to power.

Each generation connects with God differently

The symbolism in the trumpets of Parashat Beha'alotcha (Diaspora).

“Renewing our Vows” with God

As we journey through this age of corona, we must remind ourselves of an opportunity even during tragedy to renew our relationship with God.

Planting seeds: Changing ourselves and the world

There is a fascinating law that shares with us a difference in mindsets, a difference between Shabbat and the sabbatical year.

Finding light amidst the darkness

The most well known epidemic in Jewish history is the one that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students. Almost impossible to imagine.

Yeshiva head mourns murdered student

Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander: 'We mourn his loss today as a true recognition of what the Nine Days and Tisha b'Av are all about.'

Orthodox rabbi blasts gay conversion therapy

'Peddling false promises.' Dean of Ohr Torah Stone and former Yeshiva University VP Rabbi Kenneth Brander blasts conversion therapy.

Ohr Torah Stone inaugurates Rabbi Kenneth Brander

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin passes leadership of Ohr Torah Stone movement he founded to Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander