Whenever I would hear that someone is a rawtarian, I assumed they were limited to eating carrots and celery sticks or other fruits and vegetables. I love the flavors of fruits and vegetables, but all … more

Everyone who is familiar with the story of Ruth knows the Talmudic sentiment (Yevamot 69a, 77a and Ketuvot 7b) that a Moabite female is permitted to join the Jewish people. The Talmud has a classic … more

A Jew defining (and dressing) himself as Ultra-orthodox goes on a stabbing rampage at the LGBT pride parade in Jerusalem, murdering a 16 year old girl and seriously wounding five others. Iranian … more

The past week has seen new revelations calling into question the efficacy of the P5+1 deal with Iran, and the truthfulness of what the Obama administration is telling the American people. Yet despite … more

The Third of Elul marked the 80th yahrtzeit of the saintly Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, zt”l. This week’s tribute — the fourth in a series of four — was written by one of our … more

Losing weight can seem like a daunting task. There’s an industry built around helping people who want to lose weight. There are fad diets (Atkins, Paleo, cabbage soup, Weight Watchers, … more

Nothing is more mystifying to a person who wants to understand photography than light. Books, classrooms and websites on photographic lighting sometimes add to the confusion. Using light involves … more

At the beginning of Parshat Behar, when the Torah describes the laws studied at Mt. Sinai, Rashi asks a question that is well-known by those who study his commentary: What does the topic of shmittah … more

Once Tisha B’Av departs, we usually sound a collective sigh of relief. Tu B’Av and Shabbat Nachamu follow, and we experience the sense of a transition from evel (mourning) to nechama … more

Perhaps no one said it better than Rabbi Berel Wein: “Rabbi Bezalel Naor has done a masterful job in bringing Rav Kook’s thoughts and philosophy to the English speaking public. Rabbi … more