By Rabbi Binyamin Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg In Parshat Vaetchanan, we witness a dramatic exchange of words between G-d and Moshe. Moshe opens by requesting of G-d that He allow him to enter the Land of Israel. G-d refuses Moshe's supplication unequivocally, stating: ""It is enough for you; speak to Me no more regarding… Continue reading Where is Home?
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Parsha Behar
Introduction In Parsha Behar we learn about the laws of Shmittah. Every seventh year all debts are forgiven, slaves are released, the land cannot be worked, and your produce belongs to everyone: “Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the yield. But in the… Continue reading Parsha Behar
Nadav and Avihu: The Importance of Precision
In this week's Torah portion we read about Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's sons, who were Kohanim. We learn that they offer a "strange fire" to Hashem in the Mishkan (the tabernacle) and as a result they perish. Imagine that for a second; Aaron's sons perished for providing a slightly altered offering to Hashem. Nowadays people… Continue reading Nadav and Avihu: The Importance of Precision
Why Joy?
What is Joy Purim, by far, is one of the more festive Jewish holidays; we dress up, we drink, we feast. Joy would most certainly be a word to describe the day. Yet, what is joy? Is joy the same thing as happiness? How does a Jew approach joy? How does the Purim story itself… Continue reading Why Joy?
We must protect purity
We must protect purity. We live in a world which ridicules and tramples on purity. Books, music, movies, and TV shows mock purity at every turn. Countless stories depict the loss of innocence, often to peals of contemptuous laughter by surrounding characters. Media has force-fed us the narrative that purity is boring, peculiar, and stupid. … Continue reading We must protect purity
Free Will: Does it Truly Exist?
Today, we will tackle the age-old question: Do we really have free will? In Parsha Bo we read, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, in order that I may display My signs among them and that you may recount in… Continue reading Free Will: Does it Truly Exist?
It takes every single one of us
A critical lesson of the Holocaust is that all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing, to paraphrase Simon Wiesenthal. Yes, for many “good” people, all it takes is silence, looking the other way, ignoring the atrocities committed before their eyes. But for most people, a larger number than… Continue reading It takes every single one of us
The “Jewish” State Is No Longer Jewish
Now featured on America's Frontline Doctors. Let’s face it, the State of Israel is not what we thought it was. This is now a place where you can be turned away because you haven’t submitted yourself to an experiment in the past 6 months. (But as long as you're part of a beauty pageant, you… Continue reading The “Jewish” State Is No Longer Jewish
Part Two: The National and Personal Lessons We Learn From the Story of Shechem
What Are We To Learn From The Shechem Massacre? The lesson here is twofold: personal and national. However, before we dive into those two lessons, I want to remind you of two quotes that encompass the two lessons, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?” (Bereishit 34:31), and “Then they travelled, and the fear… Continue reading Part Two: The National and Personal Lessons We Learn From the Story of Shechem
Part One: The City of Shechem and the Case for Collective Punishment
Summary of the Story Parsha Vayishlach is filled with numerous important events. However, I would like to focus on one that pries at our modern sensibilities: the story of Shechem. Allow me first to give a small summary. Yaakov temporarily settled before the city of Shechem. Dinah, his only daughter, went out to meet the… Continue reading Part One: The City of Shechem and the Case for Collective Punishment
The Singing Soul 