יום שני, ד׳ אלול תשפ״וMonday, August 17, 2026
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All Toledot - Relationships - begin with our relationship with ourselves.
Am Yisroel exists to bring light, healing and peace to the world.
The Maccabees and the latest anti-Israel resolution at the U.N.
By Ezra Banner
Rabbi Krohn is a deeply emotional person and this comes through in his dedication of the book to three sterling Teachers of Torah who all passed away this year.
Firstly, why did Hashem communicate His loving Presence specifically with oil instead of anywhere else along the way?
It’s the magic ingredient that adds a measure of oomph to the day.
What stands out about the halachot of Shavuot is the lack of any specific halachot for Shavuot.
You can catch glimpses of a city reeling from the incomprehensible.
By Paula Stern
Three incidents have once again reinforced what I have known all my life.
Let us understand once and for all that G-d is not a puppeteer and we are not puppets.
By Tzvi Fishman
We become a “light to the nations” precisely when we are living together in Eretz Yisrael.
Chanukah highlights the moral-high-ground of Jews in their ancestral land.
By Orat@Muqata
I had often wondered, if Jews love Israel so much, why didn't they just get up and come here. The Mahram's Aliyah attempt showed that Jews did.
Chanukah commemorates the physical and spiritual resistance that is required of us sooner or later in all times.
I found these sleek looking shot glasses in a number of stores. Lined up neatly, they can create simple, yet striking (and certainly sweet) centerpieces for your Chanukah parties. Here is one colorful suggestion. (Tip: When purchasing the shot glasses, stick with something simple. The simpler the glass, the more dramatic the projects will look)
By Sandy Eller
I am writing this column as Hurricane Sandy is barreling through the greater New York area, after having sorted a load of clean laundry by the light of a group of yahrtzeit candles and having washed my supper dishes with the aid of a clip on barbeque lamp. My electricity went out almost four hours ago and thoughts of what I did right and what I did wrong in preparation for a one of a kind storm that ironically, bears my name are still fresh in my mind.
By Moshe Herman
Yishai is joined by Rabbi Shimshon Nadel to talk about Chanukah and finding light through the holiday.
Dear Dr. Yael: I am a female driver dealing with challenges of derech eretz while driving in my community. Every time the light is about to turn green, the person behind me seems to immediately honk the horn, yet no one has a problem double-parking, making me feel as if I am driving on an obstacle course.
A large menorah covered in seashells and used to spread the light of Hanukkah at Miami Beach was vandalized on Sunday, scrawled with black graffiti stating “You Killed Jesus”.
The festival of Chanukah celebrates two miracles – the military victory over the Syrian Greeks and that one small cruse of oil, good for one day, providing light for eight days. The miracle of the light, however, is the main focus and central theme of this festival.
You arrive home after shul on Friday night. All the dishes washed before Shabbat are locked in the dishwasher. You have no other eating utensils and you want to retrieve them for the Friday night meal. In order to take them out you have to unlock the door by turning the lever lock to the left. The action of the lever to unlock the door automatically turns off the panel indicator lights that advise you the dishwashing cycle is complete. So you cannot open the door without turning off the lights. What do you do?
Rabba Bar Bar Chana related the following, “Sailors told me that once they were threatened with gigantic waves that could have sunk their ships. These waves appeared with a ray of whitish light at their crest and when they struck it with clubs engraved with the words ‘I will be what I will be, L-rd G-d, King of Hosts, Amen, Amen, Selah,’ the waves subsided.”
By Moshe Herman
Yishai presents audio from the Albert E. Smith foundation featuring both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Don't miss it!
7:35 AM NYC closed the area around the Israeli Consulate in light of the protests and for security reasons. Security has also been increased around other Israeli sites in the city. The Federation announced they are donating 5 million dollars to Israelis in the South. A Suspicious Object was found near the Jerusalem light rail […]
By Tzvi Fishman
The “Amud HaAnan” Operation which Tzahal has now undertaken is intended to protect our beleaguered citizens in the south. But it is much more than that.
In the coming hours, the smoke will continue to rise above Gaza.
Radio Darom (South) reports that 3 people in Sderot were injured from shrapnel from a rocket launch. The injuries are listed as light to moderate. A 4th person has been injured, but no details are available yet. At least 10 rockets were launched at Sderot between 7:55 AM and 8:15 AM on Sunday morning. Click […]
How does a mild mannered CPA from Far Rockaway, Queens grow a set of vocal cords of such power and presence that a once meek and put-upon bean counter is now a vital part of the burgeoning Jerusalem acapella scene? And what causes an environmental lawyer from Marin County to discard all her eco-friendly (or at least carbon neutral) possessions to hop a fume-belching El Al Boeing 747 flight with the goal of thoroughly amending her life’s trajectory? Perhaps it’s the pale-pink light bouncing off the Old City’s ancient walls on a typical Jerusalem summer’s evening that somehow catalyzes a reaction, diffusing all reason and refracting all rational thought.
As he does every year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informs the public on the state of his health.
By Nina Safar
I love meeting fellow food bloggers. Valerie White is the author of The Happy Healthy Hippie and just might convince me to try granola. We all know I have a sweet tooth but after all the carbs and calories I have been consuming over the holidays, I am ready for a healthy fix! Below are just a few of her recipes, all tasty and light. To view more of her recipes, check out thehappyhealthyhippie.com
Shabbat candles must be lit by (and preferably 18 minutes before) sunset. Once it is twilight, the time between sunset and nightfall known as bein hashmashot, it is too late to light. Bein hashmashot begins when the sun sets below the horizon and is no longer visible.
A 17 year old Arab attacked and stabbed a 30 year old Jewish bus driver at the entrance to the town of Beitar Illit. The driver, a resident of Gush Etzion had just finished his shift, and was taking a walk. The driver was treated by MDA and taken to the hospital with light stab […]
By Tzvi Fishman
During the reign of King Solomon, the Nation of Israel was at its prime. We lived in peace in our own homeland. A Jewish government ruled over the country from the majestic city of Jerusalem. All of the people gathered for the Festivals at the Temple three times a year. Jewish law went forth from the Sanhedrin. Prophets communicated the word of the Lord to the Nation and the world. A powerful Jewish army guarded the country’s borders. Torah was studied in great academies of learning. Hebrew was spoken on the street. The leaders of foreign nations flocked to Jerusalem to pay tribute to the Jews.
By Tzvi Fishman
To rectify the blemish caused by galut, the Diaspora Jew has to stop being in exile and join the ingathered. He has to actualize the words of his daily prayers, “And gather us together from the four corners of the earth” by getting on a plane.
The holidays are upon us which means lots of food. So, what to do with all those leftovers? Here are some creative ideas.
By Tzvi Fishman
L eading up to the holiday of Sukkot, we’ll wrap up our condensed look at Rabbi Kook’s teachings on t’shuva with a few blogs on two of the holidays most important themes – Eretz Yisrael and Torah.
By Tzvi Fishman
Inspired by the Holy Nation of Israel, mankind will abandon its vain and misguided paths, and a mighty spirit of t’shuva will be ignited throughout the world.
For many of us, there can never be too many flowers around, so here are some “bright” ideas to add to your Sukkah decoration repertoire.
By Tzvi Fishman
The more you learn Torah, the more t’shuva you will be inspired to do — and the more t’shuva you do, the more Torah you are able to learn.
The Egyptian security services announced high alert on Wednesday in the Sinai, in light of information that terrorists are planning to attack Egyptian soldiers stationed in the peninsula. Egyptian intelligence has warned of an "unprecedented assault" which the Global Jihad intends to launch in the next 48 hours against the security headquarters in the Sinai. […]
By Tzvi Fishman
Simply put, to the initiate, the pain that comes with t’shuva is scary. The baal t’shuva is the man of courage. He is the true hero. He is the one prepared to set out on the greatest journey in life.
The U.S. reiterated its rejection of Israel's call for "clear red lines." Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded, saying those "who refuse to put red lines in front of Iran, don't have a moral right to put a red light in front of Israel." Here is the Prime Minister in his own words - responding to a reporter's question about the State Department's position:
New York City is used to tragedy. Terrible things happen here all the time. But New York cannot move on, neither can the country, because the murderers are still on the loose and what happened on September 11 was not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of attacks taking place in a clash of civilizations. New York, the crossroads of civilizations, is a natural target for the attacks. New York is to the world what Mecca was to Arabia and the new Mohammeds are eager to do to it what Mohammed did to Mecca.
By Tzvi Fishman
Rabbi Kook explains that this misplacing of priorities between the means and the goal stems from the sin of the earth during the days of Creation. By understanding the depth of this teaching, we can learn to be happy, not only when we finally attain our goals and ideals, but also at every moment of our lives.
Kids are going back to school, and that means getting them up earlier and trying to get them to eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that children who regularly eat breakfast have better test scores, better behavior and are less hyperactive than children who skip breakfast.
By Tzvi Fishman
Even people who have tasted all of life’s secular pleasures insist that the experience of t’shuva is the world’s greatest joy.
By Tzvi Fishman
Rabbi Kook teaches that t’shuva encompasses man’s physical being, his moral life, religious life, and his highest, most ideal intellectual endeavor. T’shuva is man’s path to wellbeing, to physical and emotional health, as well as his path to the deep self-discovery which connects him to God. T’shuva can happen suddenly, in a burst of illumination […]
By Tzvi Fishman
Rabbi Kook explains that t’shuva comes about in two distinct formats, either suddenly, or in a gradual, slowly developing fashion. Both of these pathways to t’shuva are readily found in the baal t’shuva world. Some people will tell you how their lives suddenly changed overnight. Others describe their experience as a long, challenging process which unfolded over years. Many factors influence the way in which t’shuva appears.
By Tzvi Fishman
The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden describes man’s existential plight. In effect, the sum of world history is mankind’s journey to return to the Garden. Not only man, but the world itself wants to return to its original state. This yearning is one of the most powerful forces of Creation. Thus the world “roars like a mighty lioness” to return to its original, ideal closeness to God.
At 9:05 AM, a barrage of 2 rockets hit Sderot, and hit two factory grounds in the industrial park. One of the rockets, hit a building. This is the second this year that factory buildings was hit. MDA treated one person with light injuries.
By Tzvi Fishman
While t’shuva is normally translated as penitence or repentance, the root of the Hebrew word t’shuva means “return.” T’shuva is a return to the source, to one’s roots, to one’s deepest inner self.
By Tzvi Fishman
The month of Elul is known for being the time of the year most favorable for t’shuva - generally known as penitence or repentance. But t’shuva is much more than feeling bad over the transgressions which we have committed. Rabbi Kook teaches that t’shuva is the force that makes the world go around.
I recently saw a picture of the first Agudah convention taken almost 100 years ago. There were people in all manner of dress: light suits, dark suits, vests… some had hats, some caps, some just plain Kipot. Many clean shaven, few with peyos… All were there and all were the equivalent of the Charedi world we have today. This was the Agudah of Yesteryear.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu: "The index sheds light and helps us prepare ourselves and avoid the mistake of not understanding with whom we are dealing with, who cooperates with and initiates this awful incitement. The Palestinian leadership is bequeathing this incitement to the coming generations and...it itself is incapable of adopting a dialogue of peace."
By JTA
The Israel Ambulatory Pediatric Association is calling for an end to a controversial circumcision-related rite that is also under fire in New York. Direct oral-genital suction, known as metzitzah b'peh, should not be performed during Jewish ritual circumcision, the IAPA said. The association is calling on Israel’s Health Ministry to require maternity wards and clinics […]
There is a fundamental difference between the times set for reciting the Shema and all other prayers. Whereas our sages linked the times for prayers to the times of the Temple sacrifices, the time for reciting Shema is fixed by the Torah itself – “beshochbechah uvekumechah” – when you lie down and when you get up.
By JTA
An adviser to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas visited Auschwitz on Friday. Ziad al-Bandak, a Christian who advises Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Christian affairs, visited prisoner blocs, gas chambers and a crematorium in the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex in Poland, The Associated Press reported. He visited at the invitation of a private Polish foundation that promotes […]
New testimony from one of the Israeli women injured in the attack sheds new light on the investigation.
Social Protesters are currently blocking the Ayalon Highway in both directions. They are blocking the highway near the Shalom Junction. Firemen are stationed at the protest, apparently just in case anyone else tries to light them self on fire.
Many IDF soldiers up in the Golan found their weekend furloughs canceled in light of the unrest in Syria and potential problems along the Syrian border. Sounds of shooting and fighting in Syria can be heard on the Golan. Some 90 Syrians have been killed in the past day. 20 Syrian soldiers went AWOL.
By Tzvi Fishman
That’s right. I love Jews. All of them. I love good Jews and I love bad Jews. I love fat Jews and I love skinny Jews. I love reform Jews and deformed Jews, progressive Jews and regressive Jews. I love assimilated Jews and Jews who have married gentiles. I love homosexual Jews and lesbian Jews. […]
There's a big difference between a free country and a country of free things. You can have one or the other, but not both. A free country isn’t obsessed with free riders; only a country of free things obsesses over making everyone pay their fair share to the people who want the free things. The rugged individualism of Colonial America has given way to stifling crowds, co-dependent on each other, clutching at each other’s wallets, crying, “Take from him and give to me.”
In an interview with Ha'aretz last Friday, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon made clear that for Israel the red line is Iran’s capability to produce a nuclear weapon and not Khamenei’s order to produce a bomb. He also said that Israel is not bluffing when it comes to decisive action to stop Iran and does not need an American ‘green light’ for a military strike .
By Blumie A.
Dear Ariana, It was a steep, downhill walk from our bunkhouse to the marquee where we would be lighting Shabbos candles. A weak sun sank lower into the mountains, the sky behind it a hazy yellow with streaks of pink weaving their way through purple accents.
The fourth annual Jerusalem Festival of Light is running through June 14th in the Old City of Jerusalem. This year the festival has grown to include ten international artists displaying the best artistic work in the field alongside dozens of performances, tours, local artists, and sites. Visitors (250,000 last year) perceive the artworks in the […]
Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor, his wife and their son were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on Saturday with injuries sustained during a traffic accident.
By Bette Cyznek
Huge crystal chandeliers sparkled with points of light that shone like diamonds. Hundreds of ornate, gilded chairs had been arranged on the ballroom’s thick, blue and brown carpet in the palatial Miami Beach hotel. This elegant space had been converted into a temporary synagogue for the holiday.
By Nina Safar
It's summer time, which means sunny days, ice cream and lots of zucchini! Yes, you read that right. I'm a sugar junkie and I eat my veggies too. Zucchini is the perfect addition to any summer menu. You can slice it, dice it, sauté it, bake it, grill it. Any way you have it, it makes for a delicious and light meal.
By Tzvi Fishman
When a Jew makes Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael, the letters of his soul shift into high gear and multiply in size. All of his being gets bigger. He grows closer to God. Compared to the person he was in Galut, he becomes larger than life. He transforms into a giant, filled with greater valor, greater holiness, greater happiness and wisdom.
The korban tamid was offered up every morning and every afternoon, including Shabbat. The korbanot tamid served as the bookends for all the other korbanot that were brought during the day. No other offering could be brought before the korban tamid of the morning or after the korban tamid of the afternoon.
Question: When should women light yom tov candles?
By Tibbi Singer
Our JBlogs Chief Reviewer Tibbi Singer brings you fresh recommendations on 12 new articles, plus reader mail and words of wisdom about sticking magnets under your skin (you shouldn't).
Dear Dr. Yael: Although I agree with your advice to A Passive Reader (Showing Respect Gets Results, 4-20) about how to deal with difficult people, I emphatically disagree with your decision to take the blame for the impatient frum guy who was honking his horn. If you saw him run someone over with his car, would you take the blame for that too? If you had gotten a ticket, would you have paid it? If the officer had arrested you, would you have gone to jail? I am not a rabbi, but I would be surprised if not informing means taking the blame as well.
By dvora
Dear Rachel, Since you helped me in the past with a really serious issue, I was hoping you’d have good advice for me again. This time the problem involves one of our children, and it’s become an exasperating and somewhat worrying situation. Let me explain. Our only daughter is ten years old, quite mature for […]
I have had much experience in bikur cholim – visiting the sick. Even at the age of six I would accompany my saintly father on his rounds to slave labor camps where young Jewish men were incarcerated by the Hungarians prior to the Nazi occupation.
The first few post-Pesach days are filled with the hurried rush to consume as much “chometz” as possible – and then the weight concerns begin. For some, the gut reaction (pun intended) is to stop eating – never a good idea. We all know that the best way to lose those extra pounds is by focusing on eating healthy.
By dvora
It was early evening in Jerusalem. I was exhausted, and thankful that the light rail train had arrived. Along with all the other passengers, I jockeyed for a place to stand where I could place some of my bundles on the floor. At the next stop a seat became available, and I was grateful to be able to claim it.
The track passes though and stops in both Jewish and Arab neighborhoods. I have taken the train and noticed that both Jews and Arabs are regular commuters. All of the train’s signs, tickets, ticket machines, and public announcements are made very clearly in both Hebrew and Arabic. Signs of station names are posted in both Hebrew and Arabic.
The Ma'an news agency reports that five Palestinians were injured Sunday morning after their van collided with an Israeli military jeep near Hebron, according to medics. One man was critically wounded and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Israel, Palestinian Red Crescent officials told Ma'an. Medics said four others suffered light to moderate injuries […]
Walla News reports that a 64-year-old woman was run over by a car Thursday morning, Yom HaShoah, on King Shaul Street in Be'er Sheva, as she was standing at attention during the memorial siren. She was trapped, unconscious, under the car that hit her and was rescued by MDA teams. The woman was rushed to […]
At least one person has been reported killed and several injured in the collapse of lighting for a stage being assembled at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem for Rememberance Day ceremonies.
PM Binyamin Netanyahu: Gilad "looking very well and it is evident that you are coming back to life. This year the holiday of liberation gets a special meaning. From slavery to freedom; from darkness to light."
Welcome to Part III – what to do with the cooked chicken. Our job is to rehydrate it, change the way it looks, and, at times, hide it using dough, eggs, mayonnaise, or sauce. I have found that making up fancy names for the dish not only adds flair, but will help your family know what to ask for next time. Unless otherwise stated these recipes serve 4-6 people. (Note: Though we use the word chicken – each recipe works just as well with meat or turkey.)
By Tibbi Singer
It may seem a bit macabre, but the terrible tale of multiple killings of innocents in Toulouse continues to yield messages of hope, peeking through the scenes of blood and gore. It began with the heartfelt plea for increased light that was issued by widow and grieving mother Chava (Eva) Sandler. Now the pregnant girlfriend of one of the Toulouse gunman's victims has said she will marry her murdered partner in a posthumous ceremony.
The NY Daily News reports that a small truck registered to the Jewish Association Servicing the Aging ran a red light heading south on Ocean Avenue and hit a Toyota Corolla going west on Avenue J. Monday morning. The truck flipped on its side. A bus, heading eastbound on Avenue J swerved to avoid the […]
Jerusalem periphery police commander: “It was a nationalistic terrorist attack...We did not have any advance intelligence that there would be a terror attack on the light rail."
The Beersheba District Court ruled on Sunday that the man who was charged with murdering Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira last July is fit to stand trial, in light of a psychiatric opinion.
By Yael Rosen
Over the past several weeks, protests have spread throughout Israel calling for a response to racism targeting the country's Ethiopian community. Sparked by a Channel 2 story on discrimination in Kiryat Malachi, citizens have taken to the streets to show their outrage at the status quo.
Our blinding attraction to drama has captivated so many of us. We love to live it, watch it, or even worse, create it.
By Tibbi Singer
A new method in development at Soroka Medical Center and Ben Gurion University will offer early detection using infrared light. Preliminary tests show 90% rate of success.
Move comes in response to Iranian attempts to "conceal transactions of sanctioned parties."
Egypt's military receives $1.3 billion a year from the US.
Haniyeh and Erdogan reportedly discuss finances in Haniyeh's first official visit to Turkey.
The Arab League decision comes in the wake of the uptick in government violence over the weekend.
Move comes as a result of US efforts to defuse tensions between Israel and Turkey.
Olli Heinonen makes prediction in light of Iran's commencement of an underground enrichment facility in Fordow.
Comments come during US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's visit to Japan.
Recent round of tension triggered by Hamas' “inadequate and humiliating” refusal to permit Fatah officials to enter Gaza.
August 14, 2026 
