By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Hanukkah is quickly approaching and I am reminded of a joke my father, of blessed memory, used to tell every year after lighting the candles. With the doughnuts and potato pancakes arranged on the table and...
There are two ways to verify the “truth” of the Bible (though, as we all know, the Bible is true whether we prove it or not). One way is to search back in time through archaeology or historical evidence to verify whether events described...
The Torah portion of Balak features Balaam, an elder with a global reputation as a philosopher, magician, and moral degenerate. Balaam lived in Aram-Naharaim, the area between the northern sections of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, now...
“See that big guy over there? Aren’t you glad I saved you from him?” “What are you talking about? He never touched me.” “Yeah, but what he wanted to do to you was really awful.” “You mean he wanted to beat me up?” “No. What he wanted to...
In today’s world of social media, nothing is private. People post and share everything about themselves, from what they ate for breakfast to their most personal and intimate moments. Sometimes it seems like privacy and personal space is a...
Have you ever gone into a camping goods store and been overwhelmed by the beauty of the tents? Of course not. Clearly, Balaam was not commenting on the handiwork of the Hebrew tentmakers when he complimented the beauty of the desert...
Being alone can be either a wonderful experience or a punishment. Parents frequently resort to the classic ‘Go to your room!’ as a disciplinary measure, but many children relish the solitude. I spent many IDF reserve-duty hours guarding...
After the ten brothers put Joseph in a pit, a group of Midianite traders happened along and took Joseph to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar. That ill-intentioned act was the first link in a series of events that saved all of Egypt from...
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