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?
What do we do when we’re getting ready for a date? We take a couple hours, maybe more, to mentally and physically prepare. We shower, do our hair and makeup, and carefully choose what we will wear. Back in the day, a lady would wait for her gentleman to pick her up. Nowadays, it’s common… Continue reading Get Ready
“If the Lord will not build a house, its builders have toiled at it in vain.”Psalm 127:1 We are at the brink of Sukkot, and all I can think about is the makeshift huts we dwell in every year, these temporary dwellings. We have so many temporary dwellings in life. The womb. Our childhood homes.… Continue reading The House You Build
There is a Facebook page called “Stop Anti-Semitism.” It is one of many pages which track anti-Semitic incidents across the globe with the goal to obliterate anti-Semitism. I am appreciative of organizations such as these, since I believe it is important to stay abreast of the trends and be aware of what is happening. But… Continue reading How do we stop Anti-Semitism?
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
Originally published on Jewish Press. “Privilege.” “Social justice.” “Oppression.” If you’ve been paying any attention to Jewish Twitter lately, you’ll see many Jews across the world getting up in arms about the claim that Jews have special privilege. Firing back quick responses, the Jews of Twitter rallied around the hashtag, #JewishPrivilege, but instead turned it… Continue reading #JewishPrivilege – Are We Playing the Wrong Game?
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
Why are we still in exile? In general, the casual divisiveness we’ve witnessed in today’s society has led to an increased oversimplification of reality, when the reality is not so black and white. True, there are certain maxims which merit a touch of black-and-whiteness; murder is evil. Stealing is evil. But when it comes to… Continue reading Why are we still in exile?
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?
