יום רביעי, כ״ג תמוז תשפ״וWednesday, July 8, 2026
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The destructions and subsequent exiles are part of G-d’s divine scheme. His plans are positive and purposeful though we may not understand them now.
By Ariela Davis
During the Three Weeks, we need to look at our division which led to the destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash, and for which the third Beit HaMikdash is not yet rebuilt.
It's always tempting to play the victim card when something we've worked hard on is ruined. However, throwing a pity party or dwelling on the offender’s punishment is not the Jewish way.
Ceaseless, persistent negative speech, lashon hara, can cripple, devastate, and destroy a person’s future and is the verbal equivalent of a barrage of missiles that demolishes a building.
It is a day when being part of the klal will supersede being an individual; it is a day of contradictions, an awkward fusion of happy birthday wishes and the start of the saddest time period of the year.
I often tell my kids when they choose to take a gray path that they were born to stand out and to be unique.
By Keshet Starr
A person is always complicated, layered, and ultimately unknowable – we never know exactly what someone has been through, and what has led them to the choices they have made.
One of my fondest memories in sleepaway camp was when it became dark and cloudy out. While some were bummed that the gray sky cancelled their swimming or sports play plans, I looked forward to the downpour and what came after.
By Hillel Fuld
Most things in this world are indeed gray. And then there are indeed things that are black and white, like a war between good and evil.
The secret is to use that regret to strive for more. To learn from mistakes. To make sure that when confronted with a similar situation, the best path will be clear.
By Sara Blau
There is a healthy regret that is one of the three steps of teshuva. There is a regret that can be transformed into an engine, a desire and decision to improve the relationship and do better next time.
Healthy regret arises from a conscious evaluation of a past misstep. It compels us to learn and grow.
By dvora
With maturation, and a greater understanding of her pain and suffering, I realized that she taught me and others so much.
Regret, or charata, is crucial in the process of teshuva. The Alter Rebbe offers a profound insight, linking the word charata with charita (engraving). This suggests that acknowledging our regrets helps engrave lessons learned, preventing repetition of past mistakes.
By Solly Hess
Anyone who has been involved in chinuch, either as an educator or a parent, knows that adding playfulness, whimsy, and fun are the secret, critical ingredients to a love of learning.
Playfulness can turn the harshness of reality into something that is more manageable. It helps us to relax and regulate our nervous system which makes for better processing and coping.
When I close my eyes, thirty years ago at Camp Stone feels like yesterday, the lessons from holding candles by the lake on Tisha B’Av and hiding from the Greeks at late night capture the flag, will be part of me forever. Playing is learning, posting is not.
The idea behind play therapy is, some feelings are too intense for a child to express in words, but a child’s play can reveal and articulate a world of complex emotions – to one who knows how to observe.
When it comes to sports, it’s key for adults to emphasize life skills learned from the game, rather than focusing on winning and losing.
Today, I love trying to recreate those moments with my husband and daughters and make new memories that will surely last a lifetime.
Grilling with our family alongside others of various stripes, brothers and sisters all, filled me with a rush of pride and sense of belonging that Fourth of July celebrations never quite did.
In the Talmud, foods are class-based. You just do not read of rabbis stating that they drink the common beverage, date beer, but only if it is of the single origin variety, brewed locally in Neharda'ah.
I have a rule though: once you flavor and layer your hamburger with whatever you want, you cannot put it down. Otherwise, you risk ruining the sandwich by making the bread soggy with all the juices that come out.
Most importantly, the backyard barbeque is a way for us to just get together and have fun eating and schmoozing.
It is hard to imagine the study of Torah without debate and machloket – indeed what would the Talmud look like shorn of the multiplicity of debates and disagreements that propel its dialogue forward?
To think of the Sanhedrin as merely an institutional feature of enforcing Jewish law would be to miss the central role Jewish legal institutions – whether it be the Sanhedrin of old or the modern day beit din – play in the ethics of Jewish law.
As a number of traditional sources point out, such legislation of the details of biblical law was not decided solely upon the basis of decoding the text or Talmudic logic.
Instead of the lofty goal of creating a Sanhedrin with the intent of creating consensus and unity, we could start the other way around. Start off with achdus, and a global movement to increase ahavas Yisrael among our people.
The Greek term Sanhedrin reflects a new name given to the zekeinim we know from the Torah. So Sanhedrin represents Jewish ability to determine law and justice, even as it is subjugated under an outside imperial culture.
Popsicles came in varying colors and flavors. Vanilla white, lime green, chocolate, banana yellow, cherry red, etc. Yet they are all labeled as popsicles.
The process of making a popsicle – mixing ingredients, freezing them, and transforming a liquid into a solid – parallels one of the most popular and treasured themes in Judaism: the power and privilege of transformation via teshuva.
As the environment in galus heats up, we have a choice to make. Is my strength going to come from inside, or will I allow my environment to change my trust in Hashem?
By Nachum Segal
Maybe the popsicle is the same or even better in taste and flavor in 2024, but for me, the frozen treat of yesteryear simply has a whole host of accompanying ingredients that make the memories even tastier.
I looked for other ways to support Israel and one of those ways became buying Israeli products. I've been looking for those watermelon popsicles with candy seeds but to no avail. If you do come across them, please let me know.
Morahs are our children’s guides as they develop their first experiences outside the home. It is not surprising, therefore, that but my morah said it has to be done this way… is one of the most sacred instructions in our home.
By Adina Broder
Educators need to teach from the heart in order to have the greatest impact on their students. This requires teaching with sincerity, patience and empathy, which creates a nurturing environment in which students feel safe to question, explore and create.
Morah, rooted in the same shoresh as Yirah – fear, they say. But as I pondered over the cholent this past Shabbos, I concluded that it's more about awe, a reverence beyond measure.
By Eli Lebowicz
If you don’t think being a teacher is tough, try to remember what life was like during the beginning of Covid when kids were home or doing Zoom school and we were all struggling.
Next time you are about to act, whether it be a kiddush or (chas v’shalom) a chillul Hashem, remember who you are, a morah.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
For us, as we count down the days to Shavuot and the plethora of dairy we will be indulging in, let’s use our milchig food as a symbol to reconnect ourselves to Torah – and of course to Eretz HaKodesh, a land filled with milk and honey.
Funny enough, the data shows that using the term milchig isn't just Ashkenormative but it's Litve-normative!
There are numerous explanations for why we eat a dairy meal on this holiday. One of the reasons that underscores this connection is that just as milk spoils in fancy vessels but is preserved well in cheaper ones, the Torah is best preserved in a humble and accepting individual.
By David Curwin
While the average Israeli won’t know the word milchig, they will know the English cognate milky. It’s the name of a very popular chocolate dairy pudding.
The Rema (Yoreh Deah 87:3) anticipated the popularity of these substitutes when he wrote that anyone cooking a meat product in almond milk should place almonds on the table, to indicate the origin of the liquid and to avoid mar'is ayin, or the appearance a halachic violation.
If we valued, recognized, made more space for the wisdom of the hands, we'd allow more people to feel successful, accomplished, seen in our community.
As we fight an enemy on our border, it’s not walls that will save us and establish peace.
Just as Hashem opened Himself to be witnessed, we too have the sacred capacity to truly be there for each other. We can create space to hold another's story – their struggles and their greatness – even if we can never fully understand.
By Maayan Zik
For all the community love that was proposed, the few walls that were built surely declared the opposite. Once some of the walls were pointed out, the discussion went in a better direction.
We must remember that these walls are considered holy as they are frequented regularly by Jews from around the world who come to visit and pray.
A dash of hope In the darkness of night Akiva, you have comforted us
Most of us find ourselves squarely in the category of Rabbi Akiva’s students and the angels. Yet, Rabbi Akiva had such a remarkable and unshakable trust in G-d that he not only recited Shema but relished the opportunity even then.
By Avi Ganz
After the plague that wiped out his myriad students, Rabbi Akiva could have faced the harsh reality that they weren't worthy.
The Talmud Bavli and the Talmud Yerushalmi recount that Rachel, daughter to Kalba Savuah, one of the richest men in Jerusalem, recognized the potential in Rabbi Akiva, an unassuming, uneducated shepherd.
By Akiva Kra
Rabbi Akiva taught us that a fence to wisdom is silence, the potential pitfalls of humor, the greatness of man for being created in the image of Hashem, how to view free choice, and so much more.
Empowerment: She empowered the women to take an active role in the community, recognizing their value and potential.
When the Jews crossed the Sea of Reeds and the Egyptians didn’t, Miriam whipped out her tambourine. She played, sang and danced with the other women.
Rashi teaches us that they were so confident that they were destined to be redeemed that the righteous women of the generation left with their instruments in hand.
Miriam – a woman of water and wellness, in whose merit a miraculous well provided Bnei Yisrael with water in the wilderness for forty years, sustained the fledgling nation physically and spiritually.
First, the biblical Miriam. One of the great female prophetesses (Masechet Megillah 14a). She was part of Bnei Yisrael’s leadership team during Yetziat Mitzrayim alongside her brothers, Moshe and Aharon. Her faith never wavered, and she led the women to redemption, tambourine in hand.
I think many people have that moment when they realize suddenly, profoundly, that life is not forever. For me, that realization hit when I turned 30. I recall thinking to myself – "30, then 60, then 90, and then...what?!?" While depressing at first, I grew to appreciate the idea that if life just went on […]
By Martin Bodek
The word chai actually initially appears in the second parsha in the Torah, Parshas Noach 11:12, when discussing the age Arpachshad lived to before begetting Shelach.
The reason movement is so important is that it is the basis of action; and it is ultimately this G-d-like ability to act that is equated with life.
By Ariela Davis
There is nothing more meaningful than living in Israel during this time, which is especially felt during this month.
G-d is life – absolutely. He is the source of life (Psalms 36:10). Everything alive receives its life-force from Him, in proportion to how much it is connected with G-d.
By JJ Eleff
Flowers are Hashem’s present to all of us. It is one thing in this world that you can pick up anywhere and take with you, a little gift saying I made this beautiful world for you, enjoy it!
The cycle of life, the importance of difference and the seemingly incongruousness are there to contemplate. While there is timing to be respected, a consistency that lets you know what chag is before you simply by looking around you, there is also surprise and wonder.
With tulips, it’s all downhill. They shoot up awkwardly after being under the blaze of your dining room table lights for 24 hours and soon lose their color, shape, and glory. They begin to die.
One of my all-time favorites is the bird of paradise. Until I moved to Israel I had never seen, nor heard of it.
What that phrase, Yesh prechim ve’ein bo peirot, means to me is, certain isms out there may look attractive and draw you to them – think of Jews in the 1920s flocking to Communism – but don’t expect to successfully transmit these ideas onto the next generation.
It was on the last moed that our world fell apart, terrorists tortured and kidnapped our brothers and sisters. Did we imagine that we would approach this moed of Pesach with them still in captivity?
Whether it's a time for growth, reflection, mourning, celebration, or rest, understanding the significance of moed encourages us to embrace the present moment fully, trusting in the divine timing of our journey.
By Keshet Starr
Moadim offer a parallel approach. We live our lives on the dance floor, and that’s okay – we are here to learn, to do, to give. But the opportunity moadim provide to go up to the balcony helps us recalibrate when needed, and notice the things that have crept up on us.
By Hillel Fuld
Judaism is about sanctifying every aspect of life including time. But the word muad teaches us that consistency is only positive, assuming that the act you’re doing constantly is a positive one.
We are looking forward to Mashiach coming and leading us through this time in history. We are looking forward to the third Beit HaMikdash being built and the ingathering of the exiles from all over the world.
During these crazy times with our hearts in Israel the four promises of redemption really resonate. Now more than ever we pray for Hashem to save us from Hamas, bring our hostages home and out of Gaza, bring them all back to Israel, and have our nation come together as one.
Motherhood is a fascinating rollercoaster ride and the ultimate tool for self-growth; nothing is as challenging or rewarding as being a mom.
By Solly Hess
According to the Gemara, the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, daled, represents a poor person. When studied closely, we learn that rather than impoverished, it corresponds to selflessness.
By dvora
Four extraordinary mothers, women that shaped and molded our Judaic history.
Towards the end of the Seder, there is a song we sing that answers the question of how many matriarchs launched the people of Israel. Four.
Although not present in my circles, it's hard not to admire the grandeur. It’s also hard to mistake the shtreimel as anything but a sign of proud Judaism.
The shtreimel serves as a tangible connection to the rich cultural heritage of Eastern European Jews. By wearing the shtreimel, individuals affirm their identity and connection to their ancestors who also wore similar attire.
Shtreimel signifies pride in Judaism and in traditions. It’s pride in connecting our current to our past.
My shtreimel is my symbol of Jewish pride and not because it’s become trendy, but because I’ve been wearing it since the day I got married in the tradition that goes back in my family several generations. It’s my greatest honor and privilege to do so.
July 3, 2026 
