The essays by Rabbi Moshe Sokolow and Rabbi Meir Soloveitchik cited in last week’s essay prompted great interest, especially in the Bible commentary by Henry Ainsworth referenced by them. This prompted me to research this matter further and to bring to your attention a work written and published three years ago by British historian, Nick Bunker, entitled, “Making Haste From Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World” [Vintage Books, 2010]. more

Shavuot is the shortest Jewish Bible-based festival, yet it is the most spiritually-powered. Prime to this holiday is the commemoration of the receiving of the Ten Commandments, perhaps the most spiritual event in all world history. The central personality of the Shavuot saga is Moshe Rabeinu. more

In his highly spiritual introduction to this commentary on the weekly Torah parsha, the author, Rabbi Pesach Siegel informs us of the following: “The name of this sefer, ‘Sparks of … more

Grenade! Grenade! The very mention of this word can send shudders down the spine of even the most battle hardened. The instinct is to run. However, on the first of Av in 2006, one brave G-d-fearing … more

Last week I presented an excellent essay, Achieving Kavana: Praying from the Heart, by Rookie Billet, featured in a new prayerbook, Siddur Avodat Halev (Rabbinical Council of America, 2018). This … more

We’re pleased to again reprint a timely column by our long-time Kosher Bookworm, Alan Jay Gerber. This week’s feature explores three books relevant to the upcoming 75th celebration of Yom … more

Two weeks ago, in my review of Rabbi Nachum Amsel’s “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values,” I briefly touched on his essay on the Jewish take on gun control. Within that essay we … more

With the conclusion of the Torah reading cycle of Bereishis, this week’s essay will be devoted to a presentation of several contrasting styles of commentary. The first commentary is … more

Sefer Bamidbar to the Founding Fathers By Alan Jay Gerber Issue of July 3, 2009 / 11 Tammuz 5769 In Hebrew it is called Bamidbar. Translated, that would mean desert, but we know this … more

Writer David Soloway accurately described it as “a betrayal from within. … The rebellion of Korach, Dathan and Abiram against Moses and … more