The literary work that is my subject for the next few weeks is entitled, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values” (Urim Publications, 2015), a series of essays on some of the most provocative … more

Here’s one more Judy rerun this week, as she wraps up her yeshiva-break vacation. Let’s face it, how many of us would like to limit the amount of fat in our diet? How many of us … more

The final verses of our parasha focus upon the mitzvah of building a stone altar for the purpose of bringing korbanot (offerings) in the service of Hashem: “And when you make for Me an … more

In April of 1988 I was called up for my first reserve duty, a few months after the first intifada exploded. We were stationed for a month in a nasty little place called Jebalya, a Palestinian … more

While the debate over what Moshe’s father-in-law “heard” opens up the discussions on the first verse of the parsha, several verses later the Torah tells us “vayichad … more

With great interest last week, I followed the saga of the African-American boycotts of the Oscars. They aren’t totally wrong — after all, Will Smith, one of the biggest names in the … more

We are all still reeling from the news — a mother of six children who, despite heroically fighting back, was brutally butchered into submission amidst bloodcurdling screams and a pool of blood, … more

Another week, another litany of ugly incidents targeting Jews, along with expressions of concern about rising anti-Semitism around the globe, and even the odd solution offered up. But as … more

For many of us when we read the word aggadah, we assume that the subject deals with legend. However, after you read the book under review this week, the very concept of aggadah will take on a new, … more

At 6:22 am on Oct. 23, 1983, a member of the Islamic Jihad got into his 19 ton yellow Mercedes Benz truck on an otherwise normal day, and headed for Beirut International airport, where the 24th … more