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.
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.
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?
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.
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 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.
When there is genuine concern for the individual, names hold meaning and serve a purpose.
By acknowledging our shared history, we can and must begin to build bridges instead of walls.
God participates in our personal and national development, taking pride in our advances forward and supporting us when the journey seems arduous.
A unifying story about Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook and his student Rav Yoel Bin Nun.
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?
Torah is accessible to all.
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.
Why the trumpets, which represent our ingathering, our points of reflection in times of joy and challenge, can’t be reused.
The everyday, the mundane - these are not the opposite of holiness, but simply the open space that invites holiness in at every moment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I always wondered what God was doing during the Seder at Bergen-Belsen when the Chief Rabbi of Rotterdam instructed Jews to eat chametz.
The first Passover experience doesn’t happen in Egypt, but happens actually in S’dom. There are, however, similarities.
Rabbi Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, comes to the Arutz Sheva studio to discuss two important initiatives
Why is it that Rachel has attained such a unique place in the Jewish People’s collective consciousness?
How many lines will COVID-19 take up in human history?
Recognizing the righteous and stopping the bullies.
The pain of the victim of this senseless act of violence is a pain which every one of us must feel. Opinion.
Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress. How the Lubavitcher Rebbe set her on her way.
Finding holiness in the ethereal on God’s mountain is easy. Finding it in daily life takes conscious effort.
'Jewish privilege' can be used sarcastically by Jews to highlight Jewish persecution, but it also poses a very different challenge.
The Rambam's lesson from our parasha is that learning from our retreats is an integral part of humanity’s zig-zagging journey forward.
Rabbanit Shira Sapir certified by institute to provide direction in matters of Halakha (Jewish Law)
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?
Korach and Chukat are about the leadership G-d wants. It’s not about striking the rock. It’s about speaking truth to power.
The symbolism in the trumpets of Parashat Beha'alotcha (Diaspora).
As we journey through this age of corona, we must remind ourselves of an opportunity even during tragedy to renew our relationship with God.
There is a fascinating law that shares with us a difference in mindsets, a difference between Shabbat and the sabbatical year.
The most well known epidemic in Jewish history is the one that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students. Almost impossible to imagine.
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.'
'Peddling false promises.' Dean of Ohr Torah Stone and former Yeshiva University VP Rabbi Kenneth Brander blasts conversion therapy.
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin passes leadership of Ohr Torah Stone movement he founded to Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander
Rabbi Kenneth Brander describes making Aliyah with suitcase his parents took from DP camp after the Holocaust.
Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Dr. Brander to head organization.
Rabbi Riskin is to be succeeded by Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Yeshiva University administrator.