The Religious Zionist educational system in Israel prioritizes responsibility over self-interest, connects learning to lived action and insists that Torah is not just something to study, but something to live. Opinion.
The combination of physical and spiritual advancement in the modern Jewish state propels us towards the redemption represented in our haftarah by כַּדְכֹד.
The word nachamu appears twice because there are two distinct parties in need of comfort.
There is a difference between building a religious society and merely policing one, a distinction that is found in King Yoshiyahu's realm and is critical for today’s leaders and educators to understand.
The fire-and-brimstone prophecies of Yeshayahu and Yirmiyahu endure for generations, but in their own moment, they often fell on deaf ears. Why?
The Israeli and Diaspora reading cycles conclude their brief divergence this week.
The core moral failure of the desert generation, and the corrective embodied by those who came next.
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.
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.
In Jewish tradition, the kohen is not merely a Temple functionary; he is a representative of the nation’s deepest aspirations.
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.
Is the Pesach model of redemption rooted in passivity still the paradigm? The haftarah provides the answer.
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.
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.
King Yehoash shows us that Lasting institutions are built not through transactions, but through trust.
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.
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.
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.
Parashat Vayetzei's Ashkenazi and Sepharadi haftorahs are back to back in the book of Hoshea, but have different themes.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Speech is the currency of connection, and has the power to work in ways both good and bad.
This debate is not just philosophical—it is playing out today in Israeli society.
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.
