“If a person (‘man’ here is generic) opens a pit, or uncovers a pit, and leaves it uncovered (when not working on it), and an ox or donkey fall into it, the owner of the pit (e.g. the one who opened it) must pay money to the owner of the animal, and the [animal’s] carcass belongs to him.” (21:33-34) Rashbam spells out the debate regarding to whom the carcass belongs – to “who” does “him” refer? more

Sunday mornings for me, even twenty years later, still have a tinge of sadness. While Westerners most often view Sunday morning as the chance to sleep late, relax with the family, and catch up on the news, for most Israeli soldiers it is the most depressing moment of the week. more

Have you ever thought of the many times you have come across the name Hillel? How many people do you know whose name is Hillel? What about the college campus organization Hillel, or the Hillel Houses found on many Ivy League campuses ? And, what about the names of the many schools named Hillel? How about the number of temples and congregations named Hillel? more

I came into the office at 5:30am today to have ample time to attend Ed Koch’s funeral today. Each personal – and public - memory gives me such pause. My first great campaign was for Henry “Scoop” Jackson, when he ran for president. It was then Koch’s fight against the destabilizing concept of “scatter-site” low income housing (we had just moved that year from the South Bronx to Forest Hills) which attracted me to him. I later worked in all 3 mayoral campaigns, had an administration job that I loved and we did many things together over the ensuing 35 years. more

Regular readers of this column know the various objections that have been raised regarding Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination to replace Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense but, thanks in a big part to overt and de facto support from Jewish organizations, it is clear that, in the end, he will be confirmed, joining John Kerry as a two-man anti-Israel front in the Obama administration. more

Friday night. The sun had long since set, dark clouds hid the stars, and the wind was howling off the Shouf mountain range in central Lebanon. I had managed to quietly sing the Kabbalat Shabbat service while en-route to the ambush site, and even pray the evening service while in the staging ground, before giving my men a final inspection, but I had no idea what to do about Kiddush. more

The very first time I traveled to Israel, everything I did was brand new and exciting. Since then, it’s been exciting, but very few surprises would appear. The City of David was something I could add to my list of fascinating experiences more recently. What I had this past visit were some encounters I could not imagine seeing, experiencing, and, in fact, in one case, maybe never seeing again. more

Chances are your team is not in the “Super Bowl”again this Sunday (or maybe not even since 1969 when they made their only appearance--just saying) , didn’t even make it to the playoffs, you swore off football after your team’s performance this year, you never liked football, you don’t even know the rules of football…but chances are you’re going to be hosting or going to a party to celebrate The Big Game. more

It is quite uncommon for the entirety of the Jewish people to agree about something. I would venture to bet that all of the Jews agree to the historical and national significance of the Land of Israel, but not all Jews agree as to the validity of the State of Israel (this disagreement is a shame). more

If one were to measure the life’s work and achievement of any human being, I am certain that the spiritual legacy and literary accomplishments left by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan would certainly rank high among those who sought to interpret and share their spiritual commitment to our Jewish faith with a world in need of its message. more