יום רביעי, א׳ אב תשפ״וWednesday, July 15, 2026
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To fight in the IDF, the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years, is an amazing honor and is a life-changing experience.
The soldiers go out to war with the Shema on their lips. It's been very hard this past year and so many holy soldiers have been killed, but they went out in the name of Hashem, very devoted to the land and people of Israel.
For Jewish students across American campuses today, joining the new student uprising and belonging to the DEI community requires denying and denouncing your people and your peoplehood. Sadly many young U.S. Jews have done so.
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 Marc Gronich
The U.S. House of Representatives is still up for grabs, but New York was not any help this year in keeping control of Congress in Republican hands.
Hashem’s greatest desire is to bestow His kindness upon us and to rejoice in our success.
The words that the mesaymim (one making the siyum) recites beautifully laud the greatness of Torah and our privilege in meriting to study its timeless wisdom.
Being Jewish is not merely about culture, religion, or ethnicity; it’s about being a nation – the Am Hanivchar – the chosen nation.
Over the past year, the bow and arrow have become inverted gain, evolving into a shield of protection. We have felt the presence of a protective dome suspended above us, sheltering our skies and instilling a sense of security and hope.
This year’s election cycle promises to be very close and yet very pivotal, especially in regards to the presidency and the choices of which party will control the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
What the absence of an incumbent meant was that any accounting for Biden’s policies – and any possible course corrections – would come only as a result of how effectively the Trump campaign would be able to tie VP Harris to failed Biden decision-making.
The fan was fine, Mr. Green told Mr. Abrams the following day. It just needed a new plug. Then I’d like the fan back, said Mr. Abrams. I disposed of it because I thought the motor went. It was in error.
A Dramatic Change ‘Where His Son Traveled Overseas…’ (Bava Basra 132a)
In 2020, upon ratifying the bill on the eve of Rosh Hashana, Gov. DeSantis stated, I am committed to deepening the relationship between Florida and the State of Israel. This specialty license plate serves as a visible symbol of our steadfast support and friendship.
This ability to show respect for the entire life and accomplishments of an individual is essential if we want our children to have respect for our history and our past leaders.
Do not rush to make investment decisions based on who the new president is. Take time to digest the information.
Question: Isn’t the father in serious violation of the Torah by neglecting his children and not making any effort to provide them an education? Name Withheld Via E-mail
100% of all fallen Israeli soldiers have been identified. By comparison, to date only 56 percent of all the casualties from 9/11 have been positively identified.
The Chofetz Chaim, zt”l, zy”a, remarked that the partnership between Sheker and Pachata is still thriving thousands of years later in our time so that any activity built upon falsehood, any business deal formulated through lies, is doomed to eventually end in loss and damages since it is handed over to Pachata who ensures its doom and ruination.
One major halachic dispute, though, has left its mark in literature and history. The impetus was a publication which I recently acquired, titled Av Bachochma, authored by Rabbi Avraham Aaron Yudelovitz and published in New York in 1927.
Reaching out to bring others close to Hashem, and to pray for them, is an integral component of the mitzvah of loving one’s fellow Jew.
Dating can be easy for some. They date one boy or two, they connect, build a relationship, and soon after they create a home and a family. For others, dating becomes complicated.
For the Tower of Bavel, the punishment of scattering them and confusing their languages was, in fact, a punishment befitting the crime.
By Eve Glover
In the past, anxiety treatment patterns were location specific, but after the October 7 terror attacks, the KSM study found that the entire nation was adversely affected, with women being 81 percent more likely than men to start taking anxiety medication.
Practically, denial of the mitzvah means that one will never come to fulfill it. Even tzaddikim make mistakes from time to time, but because they recognize their sin as such, they eventually repent and repair their ways.
By Marc Gronich
Giffords, 54, was raised in a mixed religious environment, as her mother was a Christian Scientist and her father was Jewish. Her paternal grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was a Jewish emigrant from Lithuania who changed his name to Giffords to avoid antisemitism in the United States.
After the Affair, the Neturei Karta lost much of its public support and it never again tried to kidnap Jewish children to save them.
Certain details around the incident are not being shared or reported with the public, Soroka said. There’s a feeling that if this happened to a different community, it would be covered differently.
Every day, we get to choose who we are, what we believe in, and how we are going to live our lives. Each morning, we get to create our identity, begin anew. As Avraham Avinu says, Anochi afar va’efer – I am but dust and ashes (Bereishis 18:27).
By Marc Gronich
All of the above contested races are likely to be decided by one or two percentage points. A victory will depend upon which candidate does the better job of getting out the vote.
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
While being cordial to everyone is important, Rabbi Mathia ben Harash closes with advice as to who it is best to associate with over longer periods of time. It is better to be a tail unto lions, and not a head unto foxes.
Bruriah was a female scholar, but in addition to being brilliant in her knowledge of halacha, she was also considerate, brave, resilient, and defiant.
For me, as much as the name Bruriah invokes the intrepid and scholarly Talmudic heroine, it brings to mind a street. A humble, narrow lane not far from where I live.
Bruriah is touted as a daughter of one talmid chacham and wife of another, yet her mothering or wifely duties are never described or lauded.
Today, with the news out of Israel shocking and saddening us constantly, as parents we often find ourselves needing to shield our children from the anxiety we are feeling. It is hard, but it’s a must, and we can draw strength from Bruriah’s choice.
Let’s face it: in a community where Sara and Rivka are seen as the epitome of tznius, Bruriah might feel like it’s too loud, too forward. Maybe some see it as a statement.
In discussing the swords, the bows, and the arrows, we may also note that the only time we read of Jacob actually fighting in the Torah, in any depth or detail, he was fighting an angel, and with no weapon at all.
Ever since I first learned this Rashi (in third grade), I’ve been troubled by the apparent illogic of Yaakov’s argument. After all, if Yaakov's claim were valid in the legal sense, then by that reasoning, every firstborn twin should lose his rights to the second-born twin.
Perhaps this Moed – literally meaning "set time" – can indeed become a set time for creating positive family memories, rather than stress and tension. It can even be a set time for growth.
Wouldn’t you think that it would be the easiest holiday that would have the most people celebrating? Something like, say, Shavuot which has no chametz or seder and is just two days long. Shouldn’t easier be more celebrated?
By Martin Bodek
Whatever we think, whatever we do, whatever direction our hearts point us to as we come to this yahrzeit, let’s be sure to fill it all with meaning.
The intention is that Israel will be redeemed by the Torah in body and soul and mind to be entirely holy, and that the general correction will be over.
The moed is experienced through the va'ad. In other words, we only relate to and perceive that particular time within the context of our collective experience of the holidays.
Especially since I did not serve in the IDF having made aliyah later in life, the respect and admiration that I have for our brave and heroic soldiers is boundless.
For a very long time, twenty- or thirty-years employment in a corporation, resulted in the gift of a gold watch in appreciation. To those for whom the purchase of such a treasure was beyond their wildest imagination, it was very special and worn with great pride.
Light is good, and if one can get into the group of ro’ei hashemesh, seeing the sun but not being captive to it, life can be good and enjoyable. The way to escape from the sun’s domination is by imbuing one’s life with yiras Hashem.
I fear that our need to obsess over the war may have a detrimental effect on our kids’ long-term relationship with Israel. The news is not all bad.
Question: My problem is that some question certain character traits of President Trump and his fitness for office. I really don’t think sitting out this election is a proper option. I read your columns and as such is it possible to present a Torah view in this matter. No Name Please Via email
Is this newfound pride a response to the resurgence of antisemitism? Or is it something deeper – an affirmation of our heritage, our traditions, and our enduring contributions to the world?
Who’s On First? ‘Who Is Considered A Firstborn?’ (Bava Basra 126b)
Were it not for the Jews and their Bible, there would be no Christianity – and therefore no Western civilization. The abolition of slavery was led by Bible-believing Christians. The Bible, not Aristotle, was their moral inspiration.
Enemy and treason are defined not just by actions, but by intent. Left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, anti-Zionist charedim – none of these groups want the destruction of Israel, the murder of groups of Jews, or to actively sabotage its existence.
Originally designed for about 150 passengers, the Struma was retrofitted to carry almost 800 people, such that its sleeping quarters lacked space for the passengers to even sit up.
By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
Popular songs on Israeli radio today – the songs which have become the anthems of this war – emanate from a deep spiritual place. They draw on Jewish themes, motifs, prayers, and texts. And young people sing them like tefillot.
It is the beginning – not only of our annual Torah reading which we recommenced with Bereishis – but the beginning of our efforts to effect lasting changes. It is the beginning of an opportunity to really make this the year we truly hope it will be.
I suppose in the back of all our minds was and is that we are still living in the Middle East – we still have to earn our place here. But nothing prepared me for October 7. Nothing.
What if it isn’t entirely true that we can’t expect a great miracle?
The first anniversary of October 7 is upon us, and in some ways, we feel like we are right back there, or maybe that we never left.
Even as world opinion has turned on Israel and antisemitism has been on a terrifying rise, the Christian community has stood steadfastly by Israel and the Jewish people, refusing to abandon us, despite the terrifying trend to do so.
When Hashem finally redeems His people from all our afflictions, crushing our enemies and “their high places” beneath us, then we will encounter the final unfolding and unfurling of His Name over all of creation.
You can reach your own judgment whether Kamala Harris is honest. What is less a matter of personal opinion is her intellect.
We have also realized who we can trust and who our friends really are: despite its waffle-words, its incredibly poorly thought-out hostage-cease-fire plan and a temporary hold on some weapons, the Biden administration has done a relatively good job of supporting Israel.
After Shabbat ended the news started rolling in; the numbers of people murdered, kidnapped, the pictures, the videos. Then, as we all feared, the horror began to become personal.
Many people wait to review the parsha on Shabbos, and this is their undoing! Shabbos is at the end of the week and, if one gets busy or is too tired (a common occurrence), the week is over and its already time for Parshas Noach. Therefore, start making inroads on Sunday.
As I left Efrat, my anxiety kicked in. At these moments, you ask yourself questions like: should I even be leaving my house right now? Having no information on where the missile came from, I had no sense if more were on the way.
The world in which we live is an avenue to the spiritual; we can access the spiritual, transcendent world through the physical world because the two are intimately and intrinsically connected.
This has been a year of bloodshed. We lost so many precious young men; so many young women became widows, and little children orphans. Is this Gog U’Magog, I have often wondered?
Nowhere is there an acknowledgement by the Biden team that what is driving the Hamas-Hezbollah problem is an Iran that is bent on Israel’s destruction and which uses both terror organizations as local surrogates.
By Nachum Lamm
Things are always on. Nothing stops. Things develop. But even as you try to put a positive spin on things, you still get those punches in the stomach.
Once antisemitism is exposed, it cannot easily be masked again. At best, it will lurk just beneath the surface; at worst, it will manifest itself in new ways.
This year, the Torah will feel different in my arms. Not lighter, not heavier, but full of stories we know too well – the stories of exile and return, of brokenness and healing, of joy and tragedy walking side by side.
By dvora
The air is haunted by the distant rumble of warplanes. My husband tells me, These are our planes. It’s good. It means they are doing something. But to me it’s the shriek of unquiet ghosts.
By Leah Aron and Estee Fischman
We go to Shulamith High School of Long Island and we are very proud to tell you about the hours of work and effort that our school put into creating a beautiful and powerful memorial and program for October 7. It commemorated the atrocities that afflicted our nation, Am Yisrael, a year ago.
While the themes of Terror, Faith, and Hope dominate the artworks and the wall texts that accompany each image, it is the hand and heart of each individual artist that opens a deeply human dimension to this exhibition.
Hubby clearly was unwilling to trust her with the pills. It was predictable, as it had been twelve hours since his last calming medications had been ingested and they only last three hours.
If the person decides not to buy the item, some consider him henceforth a shomer sachar, liable also for theft, like a borrower after the time, while others consider him a shomer chinam, liable only for negligence, since it turned out that he had no benefit (Sma 200:31).
Kristallnacht, when Jewish-owned properties and synagogues in Germany were smashed and set on fire by frenzied mobs, will seem like a mild precursor to what Islamic fundamentalists are going to do to their soon-to-be minority neighbors.
Priorities ‘According To Their Wisdom And Their Age’ (Bava Basra 120a)
Children and teens often face significant challenges that make school life difficult. Whether it’s the anxiety of meeting new people, the fear of rejection, or the complexities that come with learning differences like ADHD, these struggles can hinder their ability to form meaningful relationships.
By Robert Isler
Kaufman said she would have been happier with almost any other candidate on the Republican side, specifically mentioning Nikki Haley, a name that was offered up by others as well.
With his signature humility and warmth, Schwartzman, a fan favorite, discusses his tennis and Judaism, revealing the unconditional support he's received from around the world.
To determine how best to allocate your funds, it’s important to understand your personal financial goals.
In the world of antique Judaica, it appears that containers made specifically for the purpose of holding an etrog is a rather late development, as the oldest verified etrog boxes... date no earlier than the 18th century.
A sukkah is a symbol of G-d’s protection in the wilderness and the ability to bring Hashem with you everywhere.
The first unique aspect of Sacred Time is its cover image. While the popular adage tells us not to judge a book by it cover, thought certainly goes into what will grace a book’s cover. After all, this is the first thing a potential reader will see.
A few years prior, an edition printed in Venice for Sephardic Jews did include Selichot, though, as well as the additional Kabbalistic texts, and various editions in the following decades contained a variety of combinations of prayers and readings.
By Ben Rothke
Cursory glances at Talmudic texts are prone to misunderstanding and misreading, which is why many view the Talmudic rabbis as misogynists. Fine is a close and astute reader of these Talmudic texts and shows how many initial Aggadic impressions of these women can often be misread.
As a siddur meant for both religious Zionists and non-Zionist charedim, and much like siddurim of previous generations, the original Beis Tefilah also did not include the national prayers – those said every Shabbat and those said on Israel’s Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Jerusalem Day.
July 10, 2026 
