יום רביעי, כ״ג תמוז תשפ״וWednesday, July 8, 2026
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Rabbi Judah Kerbel is the rabbi of Queens Jewish Center.
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Most people will not initially see the former hostages in person. At best, we will see videos but not much more. For those of us in that category, does seeing the hostages returning home online or hearing the news warrant a beracha?
If the mitzvah of lighting candles is zecher l’Mikdash, then some form of mehadrin can be compared to other forms of hiddur mitzvah. But if the mitzvah is for pirsumei nisa, then mehadrin, especially mehadrin min hamehadrin, takes on new significance.
While we may passionately disagree about how we take action, let our differences not prevent us from doing the holy work of increasing life.
Ultimately, while Modern Orthodoxy may have its issues, it is imperative that it ultimately succeed.
One complaint against cancel culture is that swift cancellation of someone whose views do not align with certain ideologies robs people of the opportunity to hear a diversity of viewpoints.
How might we frame what a successful Shabbos looks like? Is there a method for how we can approach this?
Even with the excitement of arriving in California, there was a tinge of sadness. We were not going to be in Yerushalayim. We would have a good vacation, but it is just not Eretz Yisrael.
July 3, 2026 
