יום שבת, כ״ג אלול תשפ״וSaturday, September 5, 2026
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When it comes right down to it, there are way too many loud voices and zealots who are not really interested in a higher goal, but only in their ego, their position, etc. We must remember what our true goals are (or should be), which is shalom, loving others and bringing them closer to Torah.
By Martin Bodek
Know what’s funny? I was going to get into a whole etymology about the word origin and definition, but I got nostalgic. As a famous comedian used to say when completing his act, This isn’t the story I wanted to tell you.
How the Machlis family never reacts negatively to their outrageous guests is beyond me. How they continue to host with such dignity and grace, no matter what, is truly unreal.
Treat people with whom you disagree with respect and fairness. One is entitled to argue – even with one’s spouse – as long as you are fair.
At the prior ceremonies after the immediate passing of the Queen, he did not connect to what was occurring. We watched the television, but he did not understand who, what, when, or why it was all about. Hence, I changed the program.
History has taught us that antisemitism endangers any society which allows it to fester, so its rise threatens us all and must be confronted.
Titled Limud VeSeder HaYeshivah Asher Be’Ir HaKodesh Chevron [The study and order of the day of the yeshiva in the Holy City of Hebron], this eighteenth-century document forges a connection between the Holy Land and the Jewish communities of the New World.
Today, it is critically important for people to sign an advance healthcare proxy and directive. Many choices must be made as people age or approach the end of life. People may no longer be able to speak for themselves, and sometimes decisions must be made quickly.
As the bus approached, Schein fired several shots before his gun jammed and, when Ben-Yosef tossed the grenade, it failed to detonate and the bus, with its 24 Arab passengers, drove away with its passengers unscathed.
Historically, Greece wasn't precisely the antagonist during the Maccabean era; instead, it was the Assyrian Greeks, a faction of the Greek Empire based in Syria.
As it is written in Eshet Chayil: Sheker hachen v'hevel hayofi, ishah yir'at Hashem hi tithalal. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the L-rd is to be praised.
By Eli Lebowicz
Sure, people will say not to drive a German car, decide to skip movies with Mel Gibson, or never listen to a Kanye song, but I've never heard of anyone protesting driving a Ford Mustang or choosing to avoid Disney World.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that in Hebrew, the name for ancient Greece, Yavan, has another meaning: quicksand – Water mixes with sand, dirt and clay. You step in it and you can't get out. The more you try to climb up, the further down you go.
I will turn to the Greeks of this season and tell our readers an adorable thing one of my grandsons said 14 years ago, after his grandfather died a few days before Chanukah.
No United Nations resolutions are passed condemning Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Islamic State, and other such groups. Pope Leftist, who accuses Israel of cruelty to Palestinian Arab children in the name of self-defense, remains silent regarding the African Holocaust.
Would an older parent be able to understand when their mate is in distress requiring medical attention? Would they be able to use the Heimlich maneuver to save their spouse from choking on their food if/when swallowing becomes problematic?
Aleinu is never recited during Mincha. However, according to the earliest edition of the Machzor from 1486, Aleinu is indeed recited on erev Yom Kippur when Mincha is observed earlier in the day. This precedent suggests that Aleinu should always be recited when Mincha is scheduled early.
Simple in his habits, fearless, and having an unusual capacity for hard work, Rav Hildesheimer joined his great Talmudic learning to his practical administrative ability and, financially independent, he never accepted remuneration for his rabbinical activities.
We should focus philosophically on Hashem’s radical oneness, that Hashem is one being and is non-physical, and thus cannot be broken down into parts but remains forever singular and perfect.
Does faith emerge from recitation of Shema in shul, daily, on Shabbat, or when belted out as Yom Kippur wanes? These are powerful moments, but I think it’s the quieter, private moments of a child’s bedtime recitation of Shema that leaves the most lasting imprint on the developing mind.
He described his deep connection to the Torah of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt"l, despite never having heard his voice. This is not surprising – many people connect to the Torah of our great commentators and leaders who lived decades or centuries earlier, whose voices they never heard.
When we say Shema we do not declare our faith as much as instruct our faith. Listen, Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One! We simultaneously declare it aloud and actively listen, accepting this as true in our hearts.
By David Curwin
In Modern Hebrew, shama typically means “to hear,” while the other two verbs convey to listen. Yet the earlier nuance of shama persists in the word mashmaut, significance, originally, that which is understood.
One of the side effects of years of the Corona virus has been a decline in the availability of health care workers. Many qualified staff members went on to find other careers, as did those in the hotel or the restaurant industry. Those positions had to be filled promptly, and from the reports I have received, many nurses or aides in these facilities have very little background in nursing at all.
Even the feckless Palestinian Authority has finally taken steps to restore order and crack down on Hamas and other rebel groups in Jenin and other cities. The PA knows it will be held up to a higher standard by Trump, and it better get on his good side before he comes back to power.
Indeed, most of the 47 metal detector-find dreidels on display are of this design – but not all. I have come across six and eight-sided dreidels(!) as well, which I will expand upon.
Eliezer recalled how Rav Avi carried a sefer in one hand and a rifle in the other, seamlessly integrating his spiritual and physical duties. To Rav Avi, there was no contradiction – only harmony between protecting Am Yisrael and upholding Torah values.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game brought Von Tilzer great fame and, by the 1920s, he was no longer writing for vaudeville. He was now composing full scores for Broadway and then, after moving to Hollywood in 1930, he wrote songs for motion pictures.
The crowd’s enthusiasm was palpable, contrasting sharply with the struggles of major Orthodox organizations to attract diverse audiences to their conventions. Here, people weren’t begged or nudged to attend; they came because they genuinely wanted to be part of something extraordinary.
By Avi Ganz
While we often think of Chanukah as a tale of great victory for the Jews (and for good reason! The Al Hanissim only mentions this aspect of the story), the fact is that Chanukah and its accompanying tails of bravery were and are about the temporary victory of a few brave and strong-hearted men.
About a week later when my melt Google doc remained blank and silent, I realized that my word was actually too good. Although theoretically I had many options, all of them fell flat when I tried to write them down.
The Chofetz Chaim said that Chazal gave us the holidays of Chanukah and Purim in the winter, representing the long and dark galus, to give us hope for eventual redemption.
By dvora
It is a metaphor for a world experiencing a severe meltdown of morals and rationality. A dangerous, combustible situation, spreading everywhere.
As I have mentioned in a previous chapter (Parallel Realities), Hubby has become very confused by the programs he sees on our television. They are too complicated for him to follow. He often thinks that they are in a different language, when they are not.
Rassco has already seen several completed TAMA-38 projects, and a number of Pinuy Binuy initiatives are in the pipeline. These developments are breathing new life into a neighborhood that has long retained its charm but needed modernization.
In 1747, Rabbi Gershon traveled to Jerusalem, becoming one of the first chassidim to establish a presence in the Holy Land. There, he aligned himself with the study of the Rashash and the Kabbalistic circle, immersing himself in the study of mystical traditions.
Klemperer was deeply affected by the plight of Jews during the Holocaust and was supportive of the State of Israel and Jewish cultural institutions. His decision to conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was partly driven by his connection to his Jewish roots and his support for Jewish causes, but he did not actively engage in Zionist political activities.
When we think of the great Sages of the Talmudic (and later) eras, mathematical sophistication isn’t the first quality that comes to mind. Yet they were far ahead of their time in that regard, especially since they lived centuries before the invention of algebra.
By Solly Hess
The Judaica items around us can either be inanimate relics that turn sections of our living rooms into mini-museums, or they can be used as intended – keepers of our heritage that remind us of a full and storied past while propelling our history forward.
Each of us must ask: is this Judaica enriching my practice or serving as a status symbol? Does it deepen my joy in the mitzvah, or overshadow it?
By Hillel Fuld
When I hear the word Judaica, I think about our rich history and our indigenous land, Judea. That’s right, what the world calls The West Bank today is actually Judea and Samaria.
By Keshet Starr
On one hand, there’s a value in a hiddur mitzvah, adding elegance and beauty to our observance. But on the other hand, what happens when the focus on beauty and presentation obscures the mitzvah itself?
What about the Judaica shops! Yes, the shops that sold Jewish books, music, candle sticks, sefarim and many other Judaica.
In all fairness, I do not kid myself that wrinkles are chic. I would never have worn linen in years past because it wrinkled. So, what has changed? Everything.
Although he drew an estimated 50,000 cartoons in his life, relatively few of them were related to the eponymous machines for which he remains best known.
Descended from the illustrious lineage of Hillel and Rabbi Gamliel, who were heads of the Sanhedrin, he was famously wealthy yet he was personally content with little.
Possibly the most pertinent description of Rebbi, found in Gittin 59a, where he qualifies on the very short list of those who have Torah u’gedulah be’makom echad, Torah knowledge and political greatness simultaneously.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
Worried that the Oral Law, the Torah She'ba'al Peh, would chas v’shalom be forgotten or accidentally changed, he decided to gather the laws, organize them and compile them as a permanent record that lasts to this very day.
Most focus on the writing of the corpus of the oral Torah (which may actually not have happened until later). Yet much more significant was how he organized its contents, something one might easily dismiss as merely technical.
While we’re complaining that we don’t have time for seder because of some shtus, Rebbi was writing the Mishna with one hand, holding up the klal with the other, and still finding time to give kavod to every last talmid chacham like they were Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai himself.
Recently friends caring for their loved ones have shared with me that their spouses too are talking about their two wives with the same name. Hubby definitely refers frequently to the other Barbara, which irritates me endlessly. Now that I understand that there is a universality to this behavior, I am giving it more consideration.
While Jews in certain Western European countries were abruptly thrust into modernity during the 18th century, gaining access to universities and achieving a measure of equality as citizens, Italian Jews had enjoyed the privilege of university attendance for centuries.
We see a diminution of individuals’ civil rights, as exemplified by government attempts to curtail parents from expressing opposition to woke educational policies at school board meetings.
When the British captured Savannah in December 1778, Levi lost almost everything, and after the Americans won their War of Independence and the Patriots regained control of the Georgia government in 1782, they banished him (he relocated to Charleston) and confiscated all his property.
Living in gratitude, with intention and purpose, especially the ultimate purpose, can positively affect your mood, outlook on life, and how your day-to-day interactions are experienced in a fundamental way.
As our table is comparable to the Altar, and our bread like an offering brought on the Altar, we wash our hands before eating bread and thereby sanctify our eating.
While we wonder if the head of the household could perhaps cut a little bit quicker, we are forced to pause at the beginning of the meal, with all the things we want to share on our minds, and wait quietly to connect the mitzvah of netilas yadayim with the lechem mishne.
By Eli Lebowicz
Washing our hands is one of the most common Jewish practices, which is also why it’s one of our most disliked practices. I’ve heard that our frequent hand-washing could be why many fewer Jews were victims of the Black Plague.
With regard to netilas yadayim, one of the points he emphasized was that we are recognizing and acknowledging the sacredness of our hands, which we use to do the daily work of elevating this world.
If one should find themselves with a doctor who is not sensitive to either the patient or to the family, unequivocally, I must recommend that the doctor be deleted from your contacts list.
Warburg, who was elected in June to the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee in a sweeping municipal election which saw Teaneck deliver the highest voter turnout in all of Bergen County, sees Fulop’s choice as a recognition of the local Jewish community’s efforts to gain greater political representation.
By their very existence, these siddurim attest to the fact that a general, national approach to prayer during Israel’s state holidays has yet to be established – for religious, ideological, and social reasons.
Rabbi Hutner’s correspondence is imbued with the same rich, poetic, and heartfelt language that characterizes much of his literary style.
By Alan Zeitlin
The funniest moment of the competition was when Jacobowitz questioned a member of Shevach High School in Queens, whose product was Smart Smoke Sensor. She asked who would put rice in a toaster and the student replied: Someone in my family.
While it is virtually impossible to capture the essence and greatness of the man in a single article, or even in a full-fledged tome, I think that a good glimpse of who he was and what he represented may be gleaned through his correspondence.
By Maayan Zik
The imagery of sand also illustrates the vastness and diversity of the Jewish people around the world, for there are many different types, colors, and shapes of sand, much like our people all over the world.
The Kli Yakar interprets Hashem’s comparison of the Jewish people to sand in an interesting way. He points out that sand is always subjected to forces from the waves, but it always holds together and never dissipates.
Our lives have a time limit. Some of us may have a bigger personal hourglass; some have smaller ones. Nonetheless, the sand in our unique hourglass is flowing down and our time in this world will conclude.
The Jewish people have a collective mission. Each grain of sand contributes value in restoring the world according to the Divine will.
The humble grains that mark time in an hourglass are the building blocks that make up our world.
The ride home, would be in the dark of night. The dirt road had no lighting. I was unwilling to return in a car with friends unless one of them was armed. No one thought to bring their guns to the wedding.
As we know, the Torah is valid for all time, but societal attitudes toward matrimony have changed dramatically over the past three millennia. Herein lies the tragedy of our times: Marriage is going out of style.
Halachically, there is typically a requirement that a tradition of kashrut exists for a species, even if such a tradition is upheld by a community on the other side of the world.
The odds against Israel seemed daunting, and many experts believe that it never would have made it through the Ad Hoc Committee (and ultimately, through the General Assembly) but for a passionate two-plus hour speech on May 5, 1949 by Abba Eban, Israel’s designee, to plead its cause.
By Alan Zeitlin
Josephs said it was hashgacha pratis (divine providence) that she realized there wasn’t a group to fight for Orthodox and Jewish representation and that she was able to do so. She noted that positive Jewish representation is a kiddush Hashem.
Torah Judaism makes all sorts of demands on us; of practice and belief, of moral stances that conflict with the culture around us. We have to contend with them, and prepare our children to contend with them.
Rivka. The name of my grandmother. A Holocaust survivor, a partisan, and a rebuilder of worlds.
By Solly Hess
We must be careful not to limit Rivka’s legacy to a few highlights – the switch of the blessings, her zerizus in helping Eliezer – we must see the big picture and understand the foundational role she played in our history.
By Anat Coleman
I was relieved to study the parsha further as an adult and have the opportunity to re-explore what may have actually occurred to/with Rivka.
Rivka didn’t gloat to Yitzchak about the prophecies that she received. She learned from her prophecies and from her life experience about what needed to be done in order to insure proper continuity.
When we were young, we never believed that we would one day be 70 years of age, much less over 90. It all arrives too quickly. One day we wake up and wonder who the person staring back at us in the bathroom mirror, might be.
Written by Pinchas Schon, on behalf of the Mirrer Yeshiva Association in New York, and addressed to Rabbi Eliezer Silver, rav in Cincinnati and head of the Agudas Harabonim, it pleads for his assistance in the rescue efforts.
Presumably with Gelman’s assurance that the Shabbat Congress would be apolitical, the Rebbe did send a lengthy 22 Shevat (February 9), 1942 letter to the Congress, in which he emphasized the dangerous state in which the Jewish people find themselves...
By Sandy Eller
Voting is the best evidence of visibility, and here on Long Island, the presidential and congressional election came and went, but we still have county and town and village offices, all of which are important sources of resources that our community needs every year, explained Kadinsky.
My husband Daniel and I moved from New York to Los Angeles 12 years ago, and during 10 of those years, we've had an orange tree in our backyard. This is common in LA, as the weather is ideal for growing produce.
The contest was arranged by a navel orange company. The ask? Send us a photo of your family enjoying our oranges.
By Akiva Kra
I wish I could write an easy, 150-word guide on how to peel an orange; A step-by-step process of how to get the first part of the peel off, how to peel any of it without squirting the juice everywhere and getting sticky hands, and explaining how to avoid so many of the other unaddressed challenges in this underappreciated task.
I always thought it was amazing that oranges are a winter fruit loaded with vitamin c and other antioxidants allowing us to prepare ourselves and defend ourselves from all the viruses that come our way during this time.
By hashgacha, the same day, I interviewed Nova survivor Ofri Reiner, who shared an incredible story about oranges. For many Nova survivors, oranges have become a symbol of hope.
September 4, 2026 
