Following on the heels of Pesach, a holiday celebrating the cause of freedom, we have this weekend May Day, a holiday that celebrates the virtues of totalitarianism and murder. more

With Shabbos Hagadol now upon us, I thought it would be worthwhile to bring attention to a Shabbos Hagadol sermon delivered in 1962 by one of American Jewry’s most gifted thinkers who in his longtime capacity as rabbi of The Jewish Center in Manhattan delivered some of the most eloquent and meaningful d’roshos. more

Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, in a recent Dvar Torah on Parshat Tazriah noted the following observation: “We have spoken about using speech in a way prohibited by the Torah, one of the ways in which we can use our speech for mitzvoth is relating the story of the exodus from Egypt. Although it is important that we read the text of the Haggadah, we may and are encouraged to add and elaborate on the story of yetzias Mitzrayim, as we say in the Haggadah, ‘the more one relates the story of the exodus, the more praiseworthy is he’. more

As with every year, this year being no different, we are witness to the issuance of new commentaries on the Haggadah that serve to help enrich our appreciation of the annual observance of the Pesach Seder. more

With Purim now safely behind us, we are now ready to give our full attention to what is one of the most popular holidays on the Jewish calendar, Pesach. In a recent essay by Shira Schechter, the Madricha Ruchaniyah of Stern College, titled “Purim and Pesach: Two Holidays, One Theme,” she notes the spiritually symbiotic link between these two festivals: “Every year as Purim approaches we already begin looking towards Pesach. more

Perhaps the two most popular literary works on the Jewish calendar are the Megillah and the Haggadah. This year has witnessed two very unusual and timely commentaries that pull together ancient pshat and drash in a modern lingo that should help further enrich an already crowed field of Megillah publications. more

Mutual respect for another person’s beliefs and opinions is in very short supply. It is most heartening when we encounter an episode that demonstrates when two great rabbis are placed into a situation wherein they demonstrate mutual respect to the entire world. more

Given the events unfolding in Egypt, it is indeed timely that this week’s book review is about the relationship between the two protagonists who forged the first formal peace treaty between Israel … more

Two weeks ago a giant of Torah learning passed away. Rabbi Zechariah Fendel was, after Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, one of the most prolific and articulate Jewish writers of our time.Each of the over dozen … more

During these past two weeks we have witnessed some of the meanest political rhetoric by the authoritarian left in recent memory. The rhetoric focused upon the use of the phrase “blood libel,” by … more