The Beis HaMikdash: A Place Of Connection
We all yearn for connection: to ourselves, to other people, and, of course, to Hashem. But connection is difficult; it requires time, patience, and constant effort. Genuine communication takes a lifetime to achieve.
Mirrors Of Love
The Egyptians sought not merely to enslave, but also to put an end to, the people of Israel. One way of doing so was to kill all male children. Another was simply to interrupt normal family life.
Yearning For Connection: The Secret Of The Mouth
What happens when you don’t eat? You become faint. What happens if you continue without food? You will pass out. And if you still don’t eat, your soul will leave your body and you will die. Eating maintains the connection between your soul and your body; it is what keeps you alive.
From Elimelech to Elimelech
I am anticipating a deluge of angry letters from people listing off important persons named Elimelech that I’ve ignored, but the truth remains that despite the continued use of that personal name since Biblical times, Elimelech was always a fairly rare name until the times of the Noam Elimelech.
The Joy Of Giving
What most people would have done is to leave all those items behind, to become the next guy’s problem. But my incredible in-laws are definitely not most people.
The Status Of A Fetus In Halacha (Conclusion)
In other words, we are normally not allowed to kill one person to save another; however, because the rodef is engaging in an act of attempted murder, there is a special din of chiyuv missah on the rodef that allows for the hatzalas ha'nirdaf with the life of the rodef.
The Birth Of A New Freedom
People think they are free because they have been taught that all morality is relative, and you can do what you like so long as you do not harm others.
Purim: Our Existential Battle Against Amalek
Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual.
Where Else?
Every once in a while we are treated to the induction ceremony of soldiers which takes place in the large open area above the Kotel. Sweet and handsome, these 18 year olds solemnly swear to defend our country, promised to us centuries ago by Hashem to our holy Forefathers.
The Aesthetic In Judaism
The word kavod – dignity or honor – appears sixteen times, but in fourteen (2x7) of these cases the reference is to the glory of G-d.
Haman And Today’s Battle Against Amalek
Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world.
Divinely Arranged
Lo and behold, both my niece and nephew decided on an arrangement that I had rejected just a few minutes earlier! And although it was not particularly my taste, I was so beyond grateful that they both agreed that the style, the colors, the flowers, basically everything about it, would be to our mutual in-laws' liking.
The Farhud
These anti-British forces formed a pro-German government, winning the support of the Iraqi Army and administration. They had hoped that an Axis victory in the war would facilitate independence for Iraq.
The Architecture Of Holiness
The famous Butterfly Effect – the beating of a butterfly’s wing somewhere may cause a tsunami elsewhere, thousands of miles away – tells us that small actions can have large consequences. That is the message the Tabernacle was intended to convey.
The Status Of A Fetus In Halacha (Part XII)
As we have previously mentioned, Rav Moshe Feinstein holds that a fetus is a full nefesh, and even though one is not chayiv missah for aborting a fetus, it still violates the issur of retzicha.
How To Taste The Sweetness Of Torah Study
It is a known fact that the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is selective about which areas he strives to get us to stray. For example, the relationship he tries the hardest to wreck is the one we have with our spouse.
Fantasy Or Reality: The Ultimate Challenge
When you wake up each morning, the day holds infinite potential. You have the time to do anything, go anywhere, meet anyone, etc. But that’s only potential, for in reality, you haven’t done anything yet, and in reality, you can’t do everything, only something.
My Father
Several minutes after entering the hospital room, my father gave a tremor that sent them running for help from the nurse's station. The nurse called the doctor. The doctor told them that my father's systems were closing down, hinting that perhaps the respirator plug should already be pulled.
Airplane Mode While on the Ground
While the proliferation of technology and the distraction that comes with it is fairly recent, the struggle with being fully present is not a new phenomenon. Ask HaShem
COVENANT & CONVERSATION: The Slow End of Slavery
So slavery is to be abolished, but it is a fundamental principle of God’s relationship with us that he does not force us to change faster than is possible of our own freewill.
Shabbos: A Taste Of The World To Come
When we consider whether or not someone is an observant Jew, we usually ask whether he or she is shomer Shabbos. Why is this the defining feature of religious observance? What makes Shabbos a root mitzvah, why is its punishment so severe, and why do we see it as the measuring stick for all of Torah observance? What is the secret of Shabbos?
Acronyms As Surnames
Just as acronyms serve modern convenience, they also hold a unique place in Jewish history and culture, where many family names actually derive from meaningful acronyms. These surnames serve as more than mere identifiers.
Seltzer And Sensible Shoes
When walking down a sunny Jerusalem street with my father, he would attach clip-on sunglasses to his bifocals. When we would walk into an office or store, he would just flip them up so that he could let in the light. Perfectly practical and reasonable.
The Status Of A Fetus In Halacha (Part XI)
Why should the fact that the rodef is liable to be killed during his act of attempted murder affect whether or not he is chayiv to pay back the monetary damage he caused?
The Custom That Refused To Die
The custom of including the Ten Commandments as part of the Shema was once widespread, but from a certain point in time it was systematically opposed by the Sages. Why did they object to it?
A Tzaddik Falls Seven Times And Rises
Most of humanity lies somewhere along the middle of the spectrum. Our point of free will is located in the decision sphere of whether or not to gossip, to hit snooze, to give charity, to smile, to eat right, etc. These are the battles of inches; sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose.
Sparkling Floors
I was fed up. I had this useless machine taking up space for no reason. I had an ultimatum in my mind that if by chodesh Elul there was no solution, I would bring the machine to my daughter’s house and it could take up space in their home.
Covenant & Conversation: Parshat Beshallach: Music, Language of the Soul
What is the place of song in Judaism?
The Status Of A Fetus in Halacha (Part X)
There is a general principle that when one sees someone in the act of violating an aveirah, the witness should warn them before the aveirah takes place. Why then, in the case of rodef, does the Gemara say that hasra’ah is not required?
Flying To Falling: The Raging Battle Within Us All
Cheit ha’egel, the sin of the golden calf, is perhaps the most infamous event in the Torah, a sin compared to the original sin of Adam HaRishon and one that has repercussions throughout Jewish history. Yet, what is most striking about this sin is not the act itself but its timing.
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