יום שלישי, י״ח תשרי תשפ״זTuesday, September 29, 2026
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Rashi suggests here that while Yaakov has faith that G-d will bring him back in one piece and that his children will inherit the land promised to his fathers, he does not know whether all of his children will be worthy of this promise.
I would argue that finding your bashert trumps sightseeing and as far as I am aware, couples are still allowed on planes, not just singles.
Yaakov is now so confident in his newly acquired ability to protect himself from the scammers of the world, that he feels that he doesn’t need G-d’s help. So he heads straight for the web of deception in Charan. Something makes him pause, however.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
What Jacob shows, by his sheer quick-wittedness, is that the strength of the strong can also be their weakness.
There are people who, while they voice Hashem will help, they really put their trust solely in the doctor, or in the medicine, but not in Hashem.
Tragically, when their utopian certainty finally dies, the pain and desolation the faithful face is pitiful.
No matter how challenging the environment, there is always reason for hope and items for which to be grateful. This is true for life as well as investing.
It appears that we have circumstances where the day became dark, even though it was still daytime and, in contrast scenarios where there was light in the darkness. Both portend good for the Jewish nation.
By Sandy Eller
Students expressed their gratitude to the volunteers in a two-minute video, sharing how they went from feeling frightened to uplifted in the span of just a few short days.
Hashem’s bounty descends from the sources of His will, and the deeds of the tzaddik ascend from the dust of the earth from which we are all made.
By Baruch Lytle
A Brief and Visual History of Antisemitism is thoughtfully written and designed to appeal to young readers, the smart phone-obsessed, and anyone else with a short attention span, all while being researched and thorough enough to keep the methodical reader clinging to every page.
Question: Now that we have begun the new cycle of the Torah reading, I read in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that one is to say a blessing upon seeing a rainbow but that it is forbidden to gaze upon it excessively. Is this not such a beautiful phenomenon? Why should there be any prohibition connected with it? Zelig Aronson Via Email
By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
For the families of the 240 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza – desperately waiting for their return – no price is too high, no demand too great, to get their loved ones back. But this question is far from simple, and the subject of much discussion and debate among contemporary poskim.
Isn’t that the story of our lives? Aren’t we always thinking that just around the next bend is the key to happiness?
It sounds incredible, but to the dismay of many, the Biden administration is now acting to strengthen Iran even as it supports Israel’s current efforts to eliminate one of its other murderous surrogates.
A widespread custom is to avoid using a metallic mezuzah case. This is because metal represents the sword and the shortening of life, while a mezuzah represents mitzvot and the lengthening of life.
As a frum Jewish educator, I am acutely aware of the thousands of “Yitzchaks” in our care. Each child a guarantor of Hashem’s promise to make Avraham Avinu, and by extension all Jews, into a great nation.
We really do have no place in this world. Yet our survival defies nature anchored not in military might or the validation of world leaders, but in our transcendent essence.
By Ira Stoll
Whether Yitzchak or Yitzchok, the biblical explanation of the name from Sarah, in Genesis 21:6, that G-d has brought her laughter, and that everyone who hears will laugh with her, always brings a smile, if not laughter, to my lips.
Tranquility is great, but it's not a reason to live. Joy comes from conquest: from the dragon-slaying campaigns of youth, but ultimately from the self-conquest that is life's fiercest and most silent battle.
One thing that is clear from this war is that Hamas must be taken out of the picture. It is not that we did not know before this that they were intent upon the destruction of the Jewish state. Rather, the calculation was whether they could be contained at a lower cost than having to uproot them.
The purpose of rebuke is simple: Rebuke helps us see where we have gone wrong, clarifying what we must change and improve in order to fulfill our purpose and actualize our true potential.
The plaintiffs repeatedly reached out to the dean of students and other administrators expressing their concerns about the escalating antisemitism, all to no avail.
Once again it is shocking to me that while we hold our collective breath and pray for the hostages and our soldiers and ourselves, daily life and all its messiness still swirls around us.
Although Eretz Yisrael finds itself in the midst of a war, most places there do not rise to the level of a makom sakana.
Not surprisingly, they want an end – they say on the humanitarian grounds of avoiding further deaths – to Israel’s effort to make Hamas go away.
As Jewish people we must hug, love and support the families that are grieving and be strong and powerful to keep on moving forward towards destroying the enemy and evil that surrounds us from all corner.
By Jason Maoz
The birthday girl was born in Poland in 1923 and came to America as a teenager in 1939, barely escaping Europe before it was too late.
By Alan Zeitlin
Haley said Hamas had to be eliminated, Israel should get whatever support it needs and the hostages should be returned. She said nobody should tell Israel what to do and America should have Israel’s back.
Nebuchadnezzar, the warrior king, has been likened to an ox, whose intent was to cause damage and mayhem, not merely to satisfy personal desires, akin to Hamas.
They are not mere victims of brutal terror whose lives until this moment, were of no account. They are people who lived vivaciously, accomplished tremendously, and were loved unconditionally.
By Naama Klein
For all of you readers who think that my husband committed the ultimate offense and forgot the date of our wedding anniversary AND that his issues with Social Security would therefore pale in comparison to his issues with me, allow me to clarify.
They are all heroes, I thought to myself, those who go – and those who let go.
Is It Trespass? ‘Reuven Didn't Benefit and Shimon Didn't Lose’ (Bava Kamma 20a)
The sense of brotherhood is so genuine because aside from the fact that Israel is now caught in an existential struggle, it is fighting as a family.
Forty families were able to celebrate Shabbat together and give their loved ones some love, care and attention before they returned to fight in Gaza.
When settling with the sister so that she should not claim her share, presumably the full burden should be on the bechor, because she could claim only the additional share of the bechor.
Black and white thinking is considered to be a cognitive distortion by psychologists because it stops people from seeing life as it truly is, complex, uncertain, and always changing.
Neither Hubby or I could have survived another week of no sleep and stress. Time for creative thinking. Avoid the family doctor and go directly to the specialist.
When a Jew loses his own self-respect, when he no longer knows how a Jew thinks, speaks or acts, he adopts non-Jewish attitudes.
You have to wonder why, according to the Radak, Yitzchak needed to place his wife before him. Could there be anything more important? Could he possibly have been thinking about anything or anyone else when his wife was barren and desperate for a child? Apparently, yes.
We are meant to realize that our success hinges on working together – not just to defend ourselves but also to realize our joint mission in Hashem’s world.
It seems that Rivkah understood that she had twins, but she thought that they belonged to the same nation. She worried that they were engaged in a civil war.
It is infectious and we become transfixed by our screens, and laugh and cry at the weddings of strangers who understand so clearly that a wedding is about marriage, love, and the future.
You may have students who bother you, who have messy hair or unkempt clothes. Maybe a kid who has a disorganized backpack. You might have a student who has an annoying habit. That student is someone’s entire life.
Robert Barrack lives a few blocks away, but he heard about it from his daughter. She is married to an Israeli man and lives in Israel now. My daughter sent me the post and I felt I should show my support, he said. I didn’t even want coffee.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Isaac loved Esau because he simply did not know who or what Esau was. But there is another possible answer: that Isaac loved Esau precisely because he did know what Esau was.
Typically, when we think of Esav’s hatred for Yaakov, we don’t first think of the Roman Empire or about gentiles in general. In fact this relationship remains complicated, but ultimately our role of being a light unto the nations entails uplifting them as well.
By Ben Rothke
Rabbi David writes how he was completely taken aback by how this giant of a Torah scholar would treat a very young boy with such respect and friendship as if he were talking to one of his peers.
Who do we see coming to the aid of earthquake victims buried underneath rubble and crumbled buildings in all corners of the world? The little nation of Israel is the first to send assistance and personnel.
One particularly fascinating recurring question described in the book is that of a symbolic re-conversion as an apostate returns from Christian ideals to Jewish ones.
People think that we’re privileged in some way to be doing this but this is a totally accessible experience for most people, says Bitya.
In the last few decades, the lowest estimation is that the elite and Ivy League colleges received eight billion dollars in Arab funding. A whopping four billion dollars came from Qatar, the source of the recently proclaimed ‘Global Day of Jihad.’
In a 1964 correspondence to a Jewish friend, she wrote, I admire and respect the Jewish people and their traditions and feel a kinship with them.
The permissibility of a ben pakua is derived from the words ba’beheima ota tocheilu, which teach that anything found inside a properly slaughtered animal is also permitted to be eaten, including another animal.
By Marc Gronich
One month after returning from Israel war broke out with Hamas. [Having been] in Israel before the war began puts this war in a different perspective tremendously, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino told The Jewish Press.
We are given a phone line, an address to turn to whenever we need help – it’s the power of prayer, the siddur, and Tehillim. If we fail to take advantage of that ability, it’s our own foolishness.
The lecture questioned the Western model of beauty and love, rejecting the notion of love at first sight. While physical beauty is important, inner beauty, spiritual beauty, is infinitely more powerful.
Learning, questioning and critical thinking are values that Judaism has always naturally fostered, encouraged and celebrated.
Interestingly, it is not one of the fruits for which the Torah praises the Land of Israel. So, it is no surprise that the custom of eating apples on Rosh Hashana did not originate in Israel but in France or Germany.
Apples originated in Central Asia, though not necessarily in edible form. Over time, they were cultivated as an edible fruit, grafted, and brought to Europe.
The common apple (Malus pumila) doesn't quite fit the Eretz Yisrael native bill. Some even propose that these apples might've gone through a Cinderella-like transformation over time, evolving from their humble origins into biblical superstars. Talk about a fruit with a story!
So many people enjoy taking their family out for apple-picking. It's the perfect food for this time of year with Thanksgiving coming up.
Yaakov and Esav each had a name from the ethical approach, a name that they chose for themselves through their actions.
While we do not know how the emerging differences between the U.S. and Israel over cease fires, civilian casualties and what a post-Hamas Gaza should look like, there is no denying the sense that America has Israel’s back at this horrible time is palpable.
While individuals retain the autonomy to determine their actions, there is a hope that people will consider the gravity of the situation and allow their moral compass to guide their decisions.
Student groups that literally call for terrorism should not be supplied anything by their universities. They should not be provided a faculty advisor, use of campus space, or subsidy for their activities.
Mr. Frankel knew that thinking about it wouldn't help him or anyone else. The whole thing was in the past and though it was so painful and unjust, he tried not to think about what happened because that would only cause more suffering with no benefit at all.
Research shows that children do need friends, however, they do not need tons of friends nor do they need friends to surround them 24/7.
This week communication has reached a crisis point. Whatever I say, regardless of how loud I speak, is met with confusion. He repeats words that I never said and everything spirals out of control.
In order to deal with the anxiety you are feeling, you need to identify what you are thinking. You are likely having anxious thoughts. These thoughts are probably swimming around your mind all day and are exacerbating your anxious feelings.
Mishneh L’melech understands that also regarding a purchase from a non-Jew, both parties can retract until the document is written because there isn’t full intent for purchase without the document.
When I discuss college planning strategies with clients, I typically focus on how to afford these steep tuition costs.
For six years I underwent dialysis until he arrived and saved me.
Limited Liability “It Excludes An Ox Which Gored…” (Baba Kamma 13b)
Hikind added, If this hate was directed against any other group, things would be happening, But Jews, you know, they get away with it.
The October 7th massacre and the subsequent attacks on and demonization of Jews worldwide have reminded us that we are one big family who are all in the same boat. The external enemy and threats have galvanized and unified us.
Chief Rabbi Heller was tasked with collecting the fines from the local Jewish community, with the brunt of the cost being placed on the wealthier class of the community. This led to much friction and complaints from the rich merchants who felt they were being burdened disproportionately.
Avraham Avinu, who exemplified the attribute of kindness, purchased Me’arat HaMachpela as a final kindness to his beloved wife and to future generations of Israel.
Dearest Minimizers, please, I beg you, listen to me. We know that there are varied levels of sorrow. But our pain counts. It matters, and it should be acknowledged.
On the last daf of Sotah, the Talmud speaks of the generation preceding the arrival of Moshiach, and describes dismal conditions, concluding with the words, And upon what is there for us to rely? Only our Father in Heaven.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The Jewish people mourned and wept, and then rose up and built the future. This is their unique strength and it came from Abraham, as we see in this week’s parsha.
That’s the whole idea behind the campaign to help American teenagers feel like they are also making a difference.
That Hagar went against her natural inclination and remained faithful to Avraham was a supreme exhibition of breaking her nature and doing good.
The 30th of Cheshvan is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman (1908-2003).
Question: Now that we have begun again the new cycle of the Torah reading, I read in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that one is to say a blessing upon seeing a rainbow but it is forbidden to gaze upon it excessively. Is this not such a beautiful phenomenon? Why should there be any prohibition connected with it? Zelig Aronson Via Email
Interwoven in this biography are the political, religious, historical, and cultural background events marking Wiesel’s extraordinary life trajectory, which the author expertly and entertainingly describes with his reporter’s eye.
September 25, 2026 
