There is much that the Torah leaves to our imagination. Regular students of the weekly Torah portion soon become convinced that the narratives they read each week are deliberately abbreviated, as … more

The old joke about academia is that the arguments in the faculty lounges are so nasty because the stakes involved are so small. That’s often true about most things that go on in the narrow … more

One afternoon during the second Intifada, our unit responded to heavy gunfire coming from El Khader, one of the Arab villages along … more

It is an experience common to all freshmen. One comes to a new campus, knows no one, and tries to orient himself by identifying the senior students who seem to have prestige. Then, he tries to … more

In 1165, an agonizing question confronted Moroccan Jewry. A fanatical Muslim sect, the Almohads, had seized power in Morocco and was embarking on a policy of forced conversion to Islam. The … more

O ur parsha, Vayechi, opens by telling us an important story with universal implications. When Jacob was on his deathbed all his children wanted to know how the future was likely to turn out, … more

In my View by Rabbi Herschel Billet Issue of April 30, 2010/ 16 Iyar, 5770 As a proud American citizen who cares deeply about the fate and destiny of Israel, the growing tension between … more

Outside of Orthodoxy, Shavuot is one of the lesser-known Jewish holidays. In an essay titled “Thoughts on Shavuot” from his book, “Angels for Shabbat,” Rabbi Marc Angel, director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals states quite eloquently: “Shavuot is the festival on which we recall the Revelation at Mount Sinai. It is also a good time to plan for a hypothetical second gathering of Israelites at Sinai – and to think carefully how we can envision such an event as an opportunity to bring us all together. more

From the one time in Re’eh to the three times in Shoftim to the five times in Ki Tetze, the Torah tells us nine times to eradicate evil – “Uvi’arta hara” – from either amongst you, or amongst all of Israel. It would seem that in most of these cases, as well as others in our parsha, the Torah is advocating for a death penalty kind of punishment for those who are either guilty of a crime, or are in violation of a mitzvah. more

Less can be more. Sometimes it isn’t. Keep this in mind as you select an image for an online professional or social site. Interesting persons with interesting faces should have more … more