Do we really appreciate all the gifts we have, and how blessed we are even with all the challenges life gives us? Eighteen years ago this Shabbat (20 Av 5761, Aug. 9, 2001), an Arab terrorist … more

In preparation for Tisha B’Av, I read through Artscroll’s Eicha and came across the following passage by Rabbi Nosson Scherman. “The truth is far beneath the surface: … more

The source of Rabbinic commandments is in Devarim chapter 17, when Moshe decreeds that the Sanhedrin, based at the place “G-d will have chosen,” will declare laws. “You must do … more

A court is a place every healthy society needs, but no one really wants to visit. A date in court to face a judge is not something most people look forward to. An army has its own system … more

In the course of setting out the laws of war, the Torah adds a seemingly minor detail that became the basis of a much wider field of human responsibility, and is of major consequence … more

Our parasha, Shoftim, begins with the celebrated words, “Shoftim v’shotrim teeten lecha b’chol sh’arecha” (“You shall set up judges and law enforcement … more

Who would you consult if you wanted to know a thing or two about the perfect society? Would you ask a politician? A professor of government? A philosopher expert in theories of utopia? Or perhaps … more

The haftarah of Chazon, the opening chapter of Yeshayahu, includes a message from G-d that is very hard to understnd. “Of what use are your many sacrifices to Me? says the L-rd. I am … more

His face is a study of pure determination, seeking every depression in the rock. There is little room for mistake. One slip will result in a 3,200-foot free-fall to the valley floor below. But he … more

Many years ago, I explored a new yeshiva at a transition point in my life. I was barely 19 years old, and I was trying to decide whether I would pursue an exclusively Talmudic education or … more