יום שבת, ט״ו תשרי תשפ״זSaturday, September 26, 2026
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By David Nabhan
Pretending and hoping, however, that sooner or later the Gazans would come to their senses, look to their children’s futures, put down their slingshots, cease and desist with the tunnel digging, and take advantage of their astoundingly fortuitous location astride the Mediterranean Sea, was a colossal failure.
Aviad is also working with Beit Daniella to create a religious dormitory. There are 20 secular post-hospitalization dormitories (hostels) and not one overnight dormitory for religious transitioning patients, she says.
There are only ever very few individuals who rise to this level, and even when all of Israel are serving Hashem faithfully and achieving our individual tasks, most people at best are just sparks of light and not enough to maintain an ongoing presence of Divine imbuement.
If they are lucky and nothing egregious or ‘red-flaggy’ happens on that first date, they go out again hoping to ease into ‘slight unease’ on their way to ‘dating comfortably.’ This is reality.
For reasons that are far beyond our comprehension, G-d wants to be in this world with humanity and wants us to be His partners.
While Rabbi Steinberg charted his own path, pursuing a career in medicine, the deeply rooted tradition of Torah study remained a mainstay of his life. More than anything else, though, it was the unprecedented synthesis of the two fields which warranted a festschrift at age 60.
The New World was ripe for change, isolated from the old communities in Europe and with a steady stream of immigrants, it wasn't long before efforts to create change in the Jewish tradition were being pushed.
The inability to fully understand the destination of one’s own growth can be compared to a child’s inability to grasp a complex scientific or spiritual concept.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
It is not what G-d does for us that transforms us, but what we do for G-d.
I share this dose of reality: You don’t get a pass on math. If you do not have a high household income, you can’t live an extravagant lifestyle. You will need to make compromises on where and how you live.
Our common struggle for survival dwarfed every petty difference which, in the past, divided us.
The vital Torah learning is that which the children are taught. When the Torah speaks of the wings of the Keruvim spread over the Aron it alludes to the learning of the children that covers and protects us from the nations of the world.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is the Hippocratic Oath of parenting: just try not to make things worse.
Like the prohibition against idolatry, chillul Hashem is one of the few aveirot we are commanded to sacrifice our lives to avoid.
By Ben Rothke
In this readable and engaging book, Pilichowski has 101 brief essays of 2-3 pages that explain the many aspects of Zionism. A critical point that he makes is that Zionists don't need to justify their existence.
During their courtship and their engagement, they were ablaze with giving. This created an atmosphere of love. After the chupah however, they sadly change tracks and shift into the taking mode – and that is when the love starts to dissipate.
We live in an age of great technological opportunities that also pose great spiritual risks. Every community is struggling with this in their own way. I hope that TorahApp helps people improve their Torah learning while finding their way through the maze of technology in a religiously uplifting manner.
There can hardly be a subject that might, at first blush, be considered more unsuitable for cartoons than the Holocaust. Yet they played a more crucial role in provoking anti-Nazi sentiment, generating support for the victims of the Shoah, and engendering publicity regarding the Holocaust, than hundreds of essays, articles, and newspaper reports ever could.
At the beginning of bentching we thank Hashem who sustains the entire world with goodness, grace, kindness and mercy. It’s something to think about.
In fact, Republicans even rejected a Biden administration proposal for funding for a border crackdown because they said it didn’t go far enough.
What is the meaning of Man being made in G-d’s image? G-d has no body or form: You saw no form at Mount Sinai, only a voice (Devarim 4:12).
One would think that academic leaders would take proactive measures to combat antisemitic behavior and protect Jewish students, given these alarming numbers, but many have done the opposite.
By Marc Gronich
Among all this turmoil on college campuses, King predicts the possibility of a one-billion-dollar deficit over ten years if the state does not come to the rescue. As a result, to make up for the deficit, tuition may have to rise, King said.
I walk the freshly showered streets of Beit Shemesh and I think of spring. I think of spring in Jerusalem where I lived for 62 years. I think of you, Adar, when joy will increase; when this war, Iron Swords, will be over; when I hope something new will be ready to debut.
By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
According to the Ra’avad and Ramban, there is no Torah prohibition to fear. Instead, the Torah promises the soldier that he will not fear (see their comments to the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot).
I have written here before about Facebook’s abysmal and ongoing inaction over antisemitic content on its site. Much worse; since October 7, has been its Fact Checkers interventions to quell and stifle posts supportive of Israel or condemning Hamas.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
Just like our prayers and our language; the shekel, our money currency, connects us to our past, present and future. It’s a testimony of us as a people.
By Chaim Saiman
Believers have long been challenged to develop a real and concrete relationship with an abstract G-d. Yet the evolution of the shekel is evidence that modern society has little trouble organizing itself around an abstraction.
In Judaism, quantification is everywhere. That is because halacha understands that just like offering too low a price for an object belittles it, so too does effort incommensurate with the value of an ethical act belittle it as well.
In Parshas Ki Sisa, after Hashem told Moshe to collect half a shekel from the men, He had to show Moshe a fiery image of this coin so that Moshe could comprehend the commandment.
In the modern State of Israel, in 1980 the currency became shekels (replacing the lira), and in 1985 the shekel was replaced with the New Israeli Shekel (NIS), which we use to this day.
The halachic authorities are somewhat divided on the need to mention the name of a sick individual when praying for them. Several authorities rule that mentioning the name of someone when praying for them is optional.
To the contrary, what Mr. Hur did say was that Mr. Biden had willfully retained and shared classified material implicating sensitive intelligence sources and methods.
Secular music with lyrics that are inappropriate due to heresy or lack of modesty is obviously not permitted. Otherwise, it’s not necessarily prohibited – just as secular wisdom is not prohibited merely because its source is not Jewish...
Thoughts surged through my head. What to do? No point in getting to the Institute without the essential documents. But to get home, rush in, grab the folder, wait for the bus and train and then arrive late, when they may refuse to see me? I decided to take that chance.
If the store allows returns, I don’t see the problem, replied Eli. If you want, you can ask Rabbi Dayan. I normally wouldn’t bother just to save $2, but I am interested in knowing the halacha, said Shimmy.
Many people believe that practice and a positive role model will solve all social issues, but what they do not understand is that sometimes people simply lack social intelligence when it comes to finding favor with others.
The Messenger Or The Message? ‘How Do We View This Agent?’ (Bava Kamma 104a)
At a recent shiur, I spoke of my bubby and her endless nights of tears. I asked that each of us take the time to feel the pain of the mothers, the fathers, the bubbies and zaydies who are waiting for their children to come home from this battle for the existence of our land, and of our people.
We talk a little bit about the war, and about what's happening to the people, and how they are scattered, and about people being sent off to Germany, and how will the war end, and what do I think of this, and what do I think of that.
It’s very poetic because her whole journey started when she had an Israeli boyfriend in Montreal, who had come to Canada to avoid serving in the army. Up until meeting him, she had had no contact with Jews.
Thyme & Tonic recently underwent a change that’s pretty uncommon, even in the kosher restaurant world. They switched from offering dairy to offering meat.
Question: Is there a special prayer or specific role for prayer when the totality of the Jewish people is in danger?
On December 14, 2023, Sotheby’s in New York City held a sale comprising the third and final part of the Abraham Halpern (1936-2017) collection of Judaica... The sale results of this recent offering were a more modest affair. Here are the highlights.
Cognizant of her wisdom and strength, her father involved her in much of his work.
It is difficult to set boundaries, but we all have the challenge of where and how to give our maaser money. It is important that you tell your friend you love his chesed and that he is always trying to help others, but that it is hard for you to always feel you have to give to all the causes he is fighting for.
It is explained that when an orphan is insulted or humiliated it calls painful attention to his plight. Not only is he anguished by the torment itself, but he is further distressed that his parents are no longer in his life to prevent this from happening, and he has no one with whom to share his pain.
Stamford is not immune to rising antisemitism, including leafleting by white nationalists, but incidents are few and isolated. Most people are comfortable wearing yarmulkes, and Feldstein feels safe.
Parents are often looking for guidance as to what defines a good Day School. Before registering a child, what should a parent look for in a school? What will determine the effectiveness of a school for their child?
Though safely outside Iran when the revolution broke out in Jan 1979, Habib returned to Iran to be with his community and lead them through the turmoil.
By Avi Ciment
I can honestly and regrettably say that up until I graduated high school, every conversation I had with rabbis always involved my grades, or rather my lack of them. I can’t recall any exchanges that endeared me to Torah observance.
The idea that our recognition and service to Hashem help us grow is emphasized by Moshe’s description of Yirat Shamayim (fear of heaven).
I can’t imagine that you expect that everyone who goes on a date is immediately attracted and excited about the person they meet. I would boldly suggest that many people who go on first dates are less than thrilled about their dates’ first impression.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
If G-d does not want slavery, if He regards it as an affront to the human condition, why did He not abolish it immediately?
Love seems to be the ideal, but only on paper, as human nature also must operate from a degree of fear.
We all want to be happy. Not only because it’s a great mitzvah, but because we enjoy being happy. No one wants pain, worry, affliction, despair or despondency in their lives.
Every nation establishes its own code of ethics. One might think that we Jews also conceived our own ethics. To disavow us of that conceited notion, our Jewish book of ethics, Maseches Avos, starts out by reminding us that our ethics come from Sinai.
Even after the reader sits back contentedly on the couch with a smile, mystery solved, he is left with much more than a typical fast-paced kid’s read because the book contains very gripping and relevant information about the historical events and sites on which the stories are based.
Of the righteous it says, V’atem hadevekim ba’Hashem Elokeichem chaim kul’chem hayom – You who are attached to Hashem your G-d (by living correctly) are all alive today. Thus, v’chol hachaim yoducha selah means all those who are truly alive will thank You.
In the complaint, Nektalov states that when he and his family were made to deplane, he felt as though we were in Nazi Germany, and that we were being isolated, vilified, and herded for disposal.
By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
While the Talmud Bavli praises burial in Israel, the Talmud Yerushalmi is critical of bringing the dead from outside the Land for burial in Israel.
By Alan Zeitlin
U.S. taxpayers deserve to know if their tax dollars are funding jihadi terrorists.
Though his struggle to remain faithful to Judaism while being true to his art remained a source of conflict throughout his life, the Hebrew-speaking Israëls was evidently a Zionist.
Ultimately, there is no color requirement for Shabbat clothes, and they may be of any color. The only requirement is that one have specially designated clothing exclusively for Shabbat that are as nice and dignified as one can afford.
Nakash has many reasons for not wanting to leave Metullah. The most prosaic is that he likes being at home. Home is home, he says.
A central question in the story of the mabul is why Hashem specifically chose to destroy the world through a flood. Hashem could have chosen any form of destruction, and yet, He chose water. Why?
Every morning and throughout the day my phone would buzz nonstop with holy Jews on these groups looking to contribute in any way they could.
It would behoove President Biden to reconsider and get in step with Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states and kick the Palestinian can up the road.
By Chaim Silberstein and Rabbi Steven Pruzansky
Today, UNRWA maintains extensive office facilities in Jerusalem, including its local headquarters as well as the UNRWA Microfinance Department on Shlomo Zalman Shragai Street between Ramat Eshkol and Maalot Dafna, even as UNWRA does not recognize this area as Israeli Jerusalem.
By Marc Gronich
For Pilip, the issues in this congressional race seem to be focused on migrants, the border crisis, supporting safety, law enforcement, improving our economy and making us a strong country on the international stage, support Israel.
In the aftermath of the October 7 Pogrom, it's only natural to shiver as we think of the evil acts of the Hamas Nazis, yemach shemam. But that shiver must be followed up with lighting the greatest fire the world has ever seen, so that warmth reaches every single Jew, and spans the globe.
By Ariela Davis
We shiver at the great privilege of being part of this great people living in this beautiful land and of the sacrifice, the depth and beauty of being here. Even now. Especially now.
I keep dreaming of the day when the hostages are freed and we can hug them. I imagine that they will look at all the support they received from the Jewish people during their time in captivity and know how much we love them.
We hear stories of those who lived there. How they died, but more importantly, how they lived.
By Anat Coleman
Shivering is a signal; it behooves us to pay attention when our body communicates its needs and responses, urging us to tune in and understand these messages to ensure our well-being.
According to most, the leniencies that Chazal encourage relate to things that would otherwise be rabbinically prohibited. That is, we seek leniencies in these areas to overcome a deRabbanan, but not a deOraisa.
It was bad enough when bail reform sent the message to our home-grown wrong-doers that New York’s justice system is of the turnstile variety. It is a worse still message when prosecutors look for ways to avoid bail even when it is authorized by law.
I then stood at my grandmother’s grave, suddenly the tears started rolling from my eyes, my heart opened up, and it was as if my grandmother was standing right there with me, talking to me and giving me strength. As I spoke the tears kept rolling down my cheeks. I felt like I could hear my grandma as if she was standing there with me.
Binance is alleged to have held itself out as having certain controls in place, while allowing high value traders to circumvent those controls.
Jewish community relations councils often avoid challenging the anti-Zionist and antisemitic ethnic studies curricula that are increasingly being adopted around the nation.
By Adina Perez
I was in despair. I couldn't believe it, here was the exact job that I was looking for being presented to me under the condition of giving up my new principle. Could I just for the sake of money give in to my highest decisions.
After other dreams which have included a baby, I have concluded that Hubby and the baby are indeed one in the same. A baby is totally dependent. Hubby is now totally dependent.
The Gemara (Makkot 3a) teaches that once a witness testified, he is not believed to retract and say that he testified falsely as an eid zomem (conspiring witness), replied Rabbi Dayan. His testimony remains valid (C.M. 38:1).
Children are not given choices and thus cannot shield themselves from failure; we expect them to be competent, if not expert, in a whole array of school basics.
Possession Is 100 Percent Of The Law ‘Stolen Chametz Became Forbidden Due to the Intervening Passover’ (Bava Kamma 96b)
But just like the silver pendant of the unredeemed son, our dog tag is intended for our Father as well. This is not a case of an orphaned bechor, bereft of a father to redeem him, chas v'shalom.
The organization not only streamlines the process of finding the right match but also addresses concerns about the legitimacy and commitment of the sponsored talmid chacham.
Sometimes, the very thing we want so badly is the same thing we are completely terrified of. We have to learn to hold these two emotions inside, and embrace the journey.
These guys are actual butchers, so you can’t go wrong with ordering a steak.
One example of the special evaluations that school children in Israel have received in recent days is a Certificate of Heroism.
My ennui worsened after October 7. At the time we were learning Koheles, and all I could think about over and over and over again was that indeed everything was futile, everything was hevel, everything was nothing.
September 25, 2026 
