Post Is Israel Big Enough to Hold the Ingathering of the Exiles? Tisha B’Av, commemorating the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem, marks the beginning of a period of mourning and consolation. This is reflected in the selections from the Prophets that… Read More
Post Expanding the Borders of the Land of Israel “Can I get you something to drink?” “No, thank you. I don’t want to bother you.” “Maybe a cup of water?” “Well, okay. If it is not a bother, a… Read More
Post It’s Never Wrong To Do the Right Thing There are few commandments in the Torah that seem as violent and as ruthless as the rules that are set out for dealing with a city that has been led… Read More
Post Make the Right Choice Today People who know me know that I cannot remember dates at all. I celebrated my 60th birthday twice because I couldn’t remember what year I was born. But I remember… Read More
Post Rabbi Kook: The Modern Prophet of Redemption Judaism has clear traditions of mourning, but when a tzaddik (righteous man) dies the anniversary of their passing becomes a day of celebration. The Zohar teaches, “A tzaddik who passes… Read More
Post Saving Those Lost in the Field Mendel the barber was hard-pressed for money. One week, he couldn’t stand it any longer. As Shabbat approached and it was near time to close, several non-Jews entered his shop… Read More
Post The First Rule of Parenting I’ll admit it. I like sleeping in on Shabbat. So when my precious ten-year-old son began nudging my shoulder at 6:00 AM on Saturday morning, I was tempted to roll… Read More
Post The Hidden Gift of Charity Usually, it is only the significant events that we remember decades later. But I still remember every detail of what happened 23 years ago. I was on my way home… Read More
Post The Key to Jewish Survival The annual month of reserve duty in the Israeli army brings together men from all segments of society who would typically not meet. But, since we are all dressed in… Read More
Post The Land of Israel’s Secret Sauce of Happiness One year ago, I fulfilled my lifelong dream and moved from the suburbs of New Jersey to the Land of Israel. We moved to the small town of Efrat, just… Read More