One of Maimonides’ lasting legacies was his attempt to systemize the specifics of Jewish belief. Consisting of thirteen statements, he gave our faith a form wherein we are able to point to specific basic beliefs that go to the core of our faith. The seventh one focuses upon the belief in the role of Moses in our tradition. more

A chicken in every pot, getting up with the chickens, chicken out, running around like a chicken without its head and let’s not forget chicken soup! Chicken soup has been called the “Jewish penicillin.” The 12th-century Jewish physician, Rambam, started the chicken soup-as-medicine trend when, in his book, On the Cause of Symptoms, he recommended the broth of hens and other fowl to “neutralize body constitution.” more

The three plagues of Parshat Bo can be summarized in one word: Darkness. The locusts “covered the entire surface of the land, making the land dark.” (10:15) The plague of Darkness speaks for itself. And the Death of the Firstborn takes place around midnight (12:29), in the darkness of the shadows of the night. Death, as those of us who have experienced loss know, is the ultimate darkness. more

My name is Masha Nockenofsky. I am 18 years old and I’m an autistic child. My youngest brother is the same thing, too. If you are all wondering why I’m so different from everybody else in the world, here’s how it all started. more

According to emails obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, a group of anti-Israel activists and journalists are engaged in a coordinated campaign to stifle criticism of controversial secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel by attacking the former Republican senator’s critics, according to emails obtained by the Free Beacon. more

A stitch in time saves nine, comedians like to keep their audiences in stitches and then there are just plain stitches…. My boys were seven and five years old and playing in the backyard on Shabbat afternoon, when my younger son came running in. “It’s not my fault,” Jeremy kept on repeating. “Daniel told me to throw the block of wood up to the bush so the ball would fall down, I didn’t know it would fall on his head.” more

This past Sunday marked the bicentennial anniversary of the yahrtzeit of the Baal HaTanya, Rabbi Scheneur Zalman. Among his most lasting literary works was the Tanya, perhaps the most definitive foundational work of Chabad chasidus, as well as one of the most influential of Judaism’s literary works of that era. Yet among his interpreters, each saw different teachings and theological meanings in his writings in the Tanya. more

In his “Living Torah,” Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan summarized the many options of what the 4th plague may have been, based on Midrash and commentaries: Flies (Rabbi Nechemiah), wild animals (Rabbi Yehuda) (Sh’moth Rabbah 11:4) (based on a literal reading of Psalms 78:11); dog-flies (Septuagint); blood-suckers (Philo); mixture of insects and snakes (Sefer HaYashar); Beetles (scarab or dung beetle); wolves (Rashbam), panthers, eagles or other birds (Midrash Tehillim 78:45); giant squid (Midrash Aggadah). more

There are certain things in life we take for granted, and chief amongst these are the relationships we have built over a lifetime. So one wonders exactly what Hashem (G-d) is saying at the beginning of this week’s portion: “And G-d spoke to Moshe and said to him ‘I am G-d’.” (Exodus 6:2) Why is G-d introducing Him/Her self to Moshe? more

Dear Editor: As someone well-schooled in politics, permit me a prediction concerning the ill-advised nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary. His hostility towards Israel and his dangerous level of tolerance for the prevarications, stalling tactics, genocidal intentions and the like of the Iranians, Hamas, Islamists galore and others of like mind is only too well-known. more