יום חמישי, ב׳ אב תשפ״וThursday, July 16, 2026
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By Ruthie Blum
Predictably, the tragedy has become yet another bone of political and cultural contention, since the people involved are charedim. Never mind that disasters of all kinds have occurred in both licensed and unlicensed daycare centers, in various socioeconomic areas with no particular religious affiliation.
The idea of the book is to show exactly how to identify and then run a business in the field of your dreams. I show readers, based on my own experience as an entrepreneur, how they can master the mindsets and skill sets of successful small businesspeople.
There is no ambiguity here. No mistranslation. No context that softens the meaning. This is not the rhetoric of a partner for peace or the language of a movement committed to a peaceful future. It is a declaration of intent – one that mirrors, almost perfectly, the genocidal aims openly proclaimed by Hamas.
Geulah is not an escape; it is a return. It is the moment when a person remembers who they are and who they were meant to be.
The habits that ordered his own days were the same ones he brought to communal decision-making.
Instead of establishing a state commission of inquiry under the existing legal framework, one in which the president of the Supreme Court appoints the commissioners and defines their independence, the government has opted for a politically constituted body.
Like their Cold War predecessors who were stunned by the sudden Soviet crackup, the liberal intellectual class is imprisoned by a narrative that rules out the possibility of Islamist regime change.
Everyone is elderly, and most have gray hair, but their eyes shine, especially when they speak of their past.
The cry of Bnei Yisrael is the first act of geulah. No armies, no influence, and still the world turns. The cry pierces the heavens, awakens, and sets redemption in motion.
There is an even more remarkable – and troubling – fact than the election of a 34-year-old radical left-wing Assemblyman with no executive experience to manage America’s greatest city. According to exit polls, Mamdani, an avatar of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, received roughly one-third of the Jewish vote.
The problem isn’t that those in need aren’t reaching out to The Laptop Project. It’s that the organization simply doesn’t have enough devices to give away. We have a constant waitlist that never seems to drop below 50 people, said Luchins.
By Nathan Lewin
Hundreds will – or should – write about the astounding accomplishments of Julie Berman during his life.
Thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of generations, and with some caveats, a realistic conduct of its affairs, the Jewish state today stands as the military and economic superior of all its rivals, and therefore as a worthwhile and powerful ally in the eyes of those of its neighbors not hostile to it for religious or ideological reasons.
Their aim isn’t to reduce Israel from the size of New Jersey to that of Rhode Island, say, but to cut the state out of the Middle East entirely.
While I do not know what is truly the biggest issue facing Klal Yisrael – what about the intermarriage and apathy consuming the majority of American Jews, the crisis between charedim and the rest of Israeli society, or the frightening rise of antisemitism on both the right and the left? – one cannot deny the corrosive impact of this financial culture.
In my view, far too many valuable resources and an extensive amount of energy were spent in generating votes for the American portion of the World Zionist Congress elections. And I say this as a delegate to a previous congress.
Now that our grandson is three, it’s easier – not totally possible, but easier – to imagine him as the beneficiary of our legacy. Often, though, it is impossible to imagine myself as the guardian of a legacy since I am still processing the legacy that has been left to me.
For generations, this posture helped shape a steady religious orientation: we focus on the religious obligations of the here and now – Torah, mitzvot, and moral improvement – while the timing of Mashiach and the ultimate reading of history are left to Hakadosh Baruch Hu – Ha-shamayim shamayim la-Hashem, ve-ha’aretz natan li-vnei adam.
By Irwin Cohen
Lucky for us Jews, Tisch will stay on in her current title under Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. She wants to add 5,000 police officers, to beef up the force from the current 35,000 to 40,000.
If we want to understand what it means to join Yehudah and Yosef – two lineages, two visions of leadership – we must also look at the women who stand at their thresholds. Not only the unnamed daughters who entered Mitzrayim, but also the named women whose faith and devotion shaped the legacy and carried it forward.
Many American rabbis and other leaders at the time encouraged people to pray for Israel, to pay for Israel, and even to make aliyah, but relatively few did more than preaching, praying, and donating.
The EU–Israel Association Agreement of 2000 cast the Jewish state as a close political and economic counterpart. Over time, EU institutions subordinated that relationship to backing the Palestinian cause.
A celebrity video that reassures – and misleads – New York’s Jewish community.
The Bondi Beach shooting was the worst terror attack in Australia’s history, and it was also the deadliest terror attack against Jews since October 7. Still, for those who have been studying the sharp rise of antisemitism in Australia over the last two years, the attack wasn’t entirely shocking.
By Moshe Gantz and Joseph Miller
When tefillin are purchased from a reputable source and treated properly, most remain kosher for many years. In the experience of many sofrim, most invalidations come from pairs that were never properly made to begin with.
Ritual is often mistaken for routine. Something done out of habit, inherited without thought. But in times of fear, ritual becomes something else entirely. It becomes resistance. It becomes a declaration of presence.
Just as we gradually educate our children in bite-size pieces of knowledge and wisdom as they develop through life and before they come of age, so too did G-d bring this holy light into this lower realm before its time.
It is far too soon to truly process or respond to such a heinous crime. But anyone with a sensitive soul cannot avoid the question that rises unbidden in the heart. How do we light candles, gather with family, sing songs of gratitude, spin the dreidel, and eat latkes in the shadow of such devastating loss and tragedy?
By Aryeh Werth
Surveillance footage captured by aircraft showed the suspects unloading materials from vehicles and arranging bomb-making components on folding tables beneath a tent.
By Eve Glover
She encourages people who want to try something new and different to make classic potato latkes and add fun and exotic toppings, such as black caviar, scallions, or a teriyaki drizzle.
By Joshua Marks
At least 27 victims were hospitalized, New South Wales Health said on Monday, including six people in critical condition, six in critical but stable condition, and 13 in stable condition. At least 40 people were injured overall in the attack, according to police.
The deployment is being coordinated from Israel as the team departs Ben Gurion Airport en route to Sydney. Zaka officials said responders will provide both technical assistance and spiritual support to local communities grappling with the aftermath of the attack.
You have, without question, a rare Mizrach of significance and beauty made by your great-grandfather, who, until this very moment, was an unknown, unrecognized but highly skilled papercut artist living in Minneapolis.
Return is not nostalgia. It is vigilance. It is the courage to live unsettled, to consecrate absence without being consumed by it, to insist that responsibility matters even when rest is denied.
By Avi Ciment
After parents spend hundreds of thousands of hard-earned dollars, a large number of our kids don’t really believe the Torah is the written word of G-d. Schools don’t teach it. They either assume that kids already believe it, or more than likely, it doesn’t fit into their curriculum.
Originally written in Arabic so as to reach the masses at that time, Chovos Halevavos in its Hebrew translation mirrors this erudite style, making it difficult to understand Rabbeinu Bachya’s main points
Halachic authorities caution against overburdening mourners, and many contemporary guides acknowledge the legitimacy of firm visiting hours or limited access based on the mourner’s needs. Yet even these measures do not always suffice.
As we look back over the past 50 years, we feel enriched that the Almighty has given us this opportunity to provide something that has proven to be so successful and so influential.
In recent years, antisemitism and anti-Zionism have increased dramatically, as has the debate about which side is more antisemitic: the Left (Liberal Progressive Democrats) or the right (Ultra-Nationalist Republicans).
Hungary is one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe. It consistently supports Israel’s right to use force in Gaza, regularly blocks or dilutes EU and UN statements critical of Israeli actions, and has initiated a withdrawal from the ICC after its obscene attempt to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. When the pullout is completed, Hungary will be the first EU country to have left the Israel-bashing kangaroo court.
When we recall the story of Chanuka, we think not only of the Hasmoneans’ stunning victory over the Seleucid Greeks, but also of the special gift that followed: the miracle of the oil. In the newly rededicated Temple, a single sealed jar of pure olive oil was found, enough for just one day – yet it burned for eight.
One of the overarching themes in Sefer Bereishis is sibling rivalry. The outcome of each successive conflict propels the narrative forward, shaping our destiny through events that are sometimes confusing and surprising – especially since the reason why the Torah doesn’t begin with mitzvos and laws is so that we can learn from the actions of our forefathers.
Despite my background in shadchanas, I must admit that I am no expert on today’s dating scene. I have been out of the parsha for a long time, and expectations and social etiquette may have changed.
Question: I am contemplating traveling to Israel. My flight will take place during Chanukah, which means that I may miss one night’s candle lighting. What are my options? Yaakov J. Via E-mail
We are given clear direction. When you look around the world and feel frightened. When the darkness feels crushing. Take another look.
Our strength for this daily work actually comes from giving to others. Every child’s smile, every “thank you” from a family that has been through a difficult period reminds us why we started this journey.
R. Betzalel Naor takes us on a journey through a dizzying kaleidoscope of sources to understand the nature of chassidus. What is the goal of chassidus? What are its methodologies? What is its allure in the modern era?
There are stories – some plausible, albeit not well documented – that Elvis’s managers advised him, in the racially charged environment of mid-century America, not to emphasize a Jewish heritage because of concerns about the prejudices of Southern audiences.
There are two different types, or aspects, of perfection. The first is static perfection (sheleimus), where something is, has been, and always will be absolutely perfect. Such a being does not struggle, has no conflicting wills, and never fails. The second type of perfection is more nuanced, and in some sense, even more powerful.
Yitzchak was not universally loved – but he was respected. He was not a trickster or fugitive; he was prosperous, assertive, blessed, and openly acknowledged as such by his neighbors.
Sharabi watched the people around him carefully. He tried to engage them, not by way of sympathizing with them but to make the best of the awful situation.
Having become an expert in the laws of Choshen Mishpat, Yaakov now felt ready to duel with Lavan.
Our public square has shifted to social media platforms built to amplify outrage, not accuracy. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X reward emotional impact over context, speed over verification, and frictionless sharing over reflection.
The Zohar teaches that sulam (ladder) and kol (voice) share the same gematria: 136. The ladder is not just a structure; it is also a sound. The ascent is not only movement, but utterance.
For the Orthodox Jew, Thanksgiving presents a rare opportunity. It is not a religious holiday. It does not ask us to compromise halacha or identity. Instead, it calls us to practice something Jews know almost intuitively: gratitude (hakarat ha-tov).
Each sacrifice’s range of time to consume represents the experience of holiness and influence (hispashtus) that it is supposed to have.
The Har Hazeitim Visitor Center is a 25-million-shekel project with the goal of drawing as many people as possible to the site – students, tourists, soldiers, and people of all ages and backgrounds.
Rabbi Glatt offered viewers some strategies for handling potential conflicts between religious law and court practice, including politely explaining the religious practice to the court.
By Alan Zeitlin
I think people see who I am and what I stand for, and I hope it gives others the confidence to serve.
In an age of rampant antisemitism – when Jewish people are vilified, targeted, and mocked – this silence becomes even harder to justify. When the world scorns us, unity should come naturally.
The central engine behind this effort is Iran, the only UN member whose leaders declare openly that another member state must be wiped out.
Mamdani’s victory has unsettled segments of New York City’s Jewish community, who already feel heightened anxiety amid the spiking antisemitic incidents in the city and across the country and who feel uncertain as to how he will address such concerns from City Hall.
A lesson here appears on a national level, where we see that we will get further through strength and success than through patience for abuse. But how to apply such thinking is best left to strategists and political thinkers.
Rivkah hears the struggle inside her. It’s not a metaphor, nor a symbol, but the ache of nations colliding in her womb.
The right seat is more than a box on an org chart. It is the alignment of someone’s natural strengths with the role they occupy.
Though man shares the responsibility to populate the world with all living beings, his responsibility is more significant because only he creates others in G-d’s image.
Our isolation stems from the unique responsibility we have been given in this world.
By Aaron Oppenheim and Yosef Baker
In your pocket or purse, you may be carrying the modern descendant of that ancient Jewish coin, still copper-colored, still the smallest denomination, still somehow essential despite all logic.
The Torah is not only a guide to living a life of truth within the physical world; it is also the literal blueprint and DNA of this physical world.
By Shlomo Greenwald with Ziona Greenwald
My first and foremost priority as an elected official is to deliver for my Constituents, which means fighting against Mamdani’s radical policies – but it also means working with him on a wide variety of local non-partisan issues, such as quality of life.
For those of us who have the merit and privilege to study the timeless words of Gemara, the thumb plays a particularly significant role. We can hardly imagine learning Gemara, trying to explain a particularly challenging novel exegetical explanation, without passionately thrusting our thumb downward and then upward.
Curiously, although Avraham Avinu completely trusted Eliezer as his administrator with regard to his estate and his wealth, when it came to finding a wife for Yitzchak, he made Eliezer take an oath to assure that he would carefully adhere to Avraham’s guidelines in choosing a wife for Yitzchak. Why?
There are 5,846 pesukim in the Torah, and 54 sedras. The average number of pesukim per sedra is 108. Chayei Sara’s 105 pesukim puts it slightly below average, ranked at 32.
By Alan Zeitlin
They were sure Trump’s political career was done after 2020, and his improbable return to the White House felt like an impossible betrayal by voters. With Mamdani positioning himself as an anti-Trump candidate, they felt that a vote for Mamdani was a vote against Trump and this could be a beginning of a reversal.
He is an unabashed anti-capitalist who will be the chief executive of the city that is the center of the nation’s financial industry – and for generations has symbolized Jewish success and civic influence.
Companies like Enron and Theranos rose on innovation and brilliance but fell to arrogance and deceit. Their failure was not from lack of intelligence but from loss of integrity.
Can we prevent outside people from selling in our community when it affects our businesses adversely?
Chesed is both a way of showing our love for Hashem’s creations and also emulating His creation of the world as an act of chesed.
Any doubt about the direction of Democratic Party discourse has been removed by the current New York City mayoral campaign in which Mamdani has been largely embraced by the Democratic establishment, despite his vocal antisemitic stands, not to mention his Marxist economic program.
Before there was Torah Tidbits, there were Torah Tidbits. And one of the very first Torah Tidbits was entitled Angel Arithmetic. (Kind of appropriate for Torah by the Numbers.)
Repeating a falsehood again and again doesn’t make it true.
Leadership begins here. Not with command, but with disclosure. With the choice to let someone in. With the courage to be interrupted.
By Eve Glover
Since Oct. 7, many secular Jewish college students have started exploring their Jewish roots and observing Shabbat. They emulate and are inspired by the incredible stories of faith of these released hostages, many of whom are around their age.
In the U.S., both the Orthodox Union and the Agudath Israel of America put out statements that sounded defiant, even somewhat hopeful notes.
Mamdani has never managed a business, run a municipal or state agency, or held a position that demanded accountability for budgets, payrolls, or public safety. His resume reads more like that of a campus activist than a leader.
Question: I don’t think you’ve ever received a question like this one. I live in Queens and am extremely agitated about the prospects of a socialist, anti-Israel and anti Jewish candidate being elected mayor of our great city. Is there any path for us to follow that can change the outcome of this election? Zelig Aronson (Via E-mail)
By Alan Zeitlin
People test the waters to see what they can get away with in the world of public opinion. Be sure there are bots praising both Carlson and Fuentes. But there are real people also, posting antisemitic things.
Avraham didn’t lead with certainty. He led with movement. Yeshayahu didn’t promise clarity. He promised renewal.
The Torah was given by Hashem to Am Yisrael, the Jewish People. Whatever the rest of the world has learned or failed to learn from the Torah, the Torah is ours.
Chazal go even further by asserting that planting takes precedence even over welcoming Mashiach. They taught that a person who hears that Mashiach has arrived while he is planting should finish planting and only then go to greet Mashiach (ADR”N 2:31).
Nichum aveilim is indeed a mitzvah, but it is not like eating matzah or shaking a lulav, where the mitzvah is fulfilled through contact with an object.
By Rabbi Shlomo Brody and Rabbi Aaron Glatt
The National Council on Disability published a study that detailed the dangers of assisted suicide laws to people with disabilities. It found that safeguards in these laws are ineffective and often fail to protect patients.
The uneducated mind thinks of the truth as a single, factual statement. But the truth is actually the balance and harmony of opposite, seemingly contradictory ideas.
Avraham launched a religious revolution that still echoes through history. He introduced monotheism, shaping the religious imagination for millennia. Countless descendants, both genetic and spiritual, owe their beliefs and way of life to this movement.
This is a personal decision, not even between patients and doctors because doctors will almost always recommend a flu shot.
Today, various Jewish social justice groups protest against their own best interests to gain favoritism from the outside world. It’s nice to try and repair the world, but you need a Torah foundation.
New York City will be facing enormous governmental, fiscal and social challenges in the next four years and we believe that the former governor, who to be sure, brings a lot of baggage to his candidacy, is without question still the best suited among the three major candidates to get his arms around them.
Shem refined his father’s philosophy. For Shem, life itself was compensation enough for one’s good deeds and he did not complain if he received nothing more.
July 10, 2026 
