In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Terumah, Hashem tells the Jewish people exactly how to build the Mishkan, the portable, temporary structure which we carried through the desert. “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst” (Shemot 25:8). This may be one of the most detailed portions in all of… Continue reading Parshat Terumah
Introduction One has to wonder if there would ever be an end to the conflict brewing in our homeland, Eretz Yisrael. So many wars have been fought, so many agreements have been made, so many options have been tried. Yet perhaps we are missing the mark. Perhaps, this conflict is not a typical controversy that… Continue reading Yosef, Benyamin, and Yehuda: How their Relationship Informs Am Yisrael Today
Part One: The Story of Chanukah A little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness. We hear that phrase a lot during Chanukah; the Jewish festival of lights. It’s a time to receive gifts (or give gifts if you are a parent), enjoy fried donuts and latkes, and light the candles of the… Continue reading A Flame for the Generations
In this past Shabbat's parsha, Lech-Lecha, Hashem appeared to Avraham, our forefather and made a covenant: “And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God." (Bereishit 17:8). So, what are we… Continue reading Lech-Lecha
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Bereishit, which is the first Parsha of the Torah, we learn that Adam, the first human, is commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. And the Lord God commanded man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But of the Tree of Knowledge… Continue reading Was it really worth it?
Life is the most sacred possession every being has. So much so, that without it, there is no being. Every life is a whole world, a world of its own. It has emotions, thoughts, aspirations, and abilities. Where did this life come from? It came from an Infinite source, brought down here for the purpose… Continue reading The Diamond We Must Guard
Dear brothers and sisters, For two thousand years, three times a day, every single day, we prayed for our return to the land that Hashem gave us. Today, we have the extraordinary opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz, to come to our land and be among our people. Today, we can find more… Continue reading This Year in Jerusalem
Originally featured on Arutz Sheva. “Jews have no future in the United States.” I’ve heard this phrase plenty of times. It is true, no doubt. Yet one must analyze thoroughly why this is so. Persecution, economic hardship, lack of Jewish life? Yes and no; it’s deeper than that. The simple answer is this: we weren’t… Continue reading Our Inheritance
Originally featured on Arutz Sheva. Joy! Sounds like a simple term. Perhaps one may think it is connected to happiness, but a more ecstatic form of it. Are we to be happy, no matter what? What if I have to pay taxes, or my bills are skyrocketing? What if I am on lockdown for weeks.… Continue reading What is joy?
Originally featured on Arutz Sheva. On the eighth night of Hannukah, several weeks ago, I married my dear wife, Hinda Leah. The following week, we were hosted at multiple homes in celebration of our wedding. At our last Sheva Brachot, Rabbi Raleigh Resnick, the shliach of the Chabad of the Tri Valley, explained a profound… Continue reading The Wedding
