Pesach always brings back images of blood — blood as a sign on the doorpost, that is. The Shakh, in his commentary on Parshat Bo, claims the blood that was placed on the doorposts was a combination of the blood of the lamb and blood gathered in a major circumcision festival that was necessary to allow people to partake of the Korban Pesach (Paschal lamb). more

Last week there were two widely covered attacks on free speech, one in private industry the other in the world of public service. more

With Pesach just around the corner, we conclude this year’s review of what’s new to read for this most glorious of all festivals. more

Jerusalem, 1948. The newly born State of Israel was struggling against vastly superior Arab forces, and Jerusalem, the heart and soul of the Jewish people, was under siege. There was only one major road to Jerusalem from the west, where the majority of Israel’s population and her food and supplies production lay, and the Arabs had successfully blocked access to the capital to all but the bravest of travelers. more

During Meet The Press last week, former President Jimmy Carter complained that President Obama doesn’t ask him for advice. Ignoring Carter may be the smartest thing President Obama has done as president. The Carter administration was a foreign policy failure; it helped create many of the foreign policy problems President Obama is dealing with now. more

Although I woke up to heavily falling snow, and it still feels like winter, Pesach is actually less than two weeks away. It’s crunch time … pun intended. more

My daughter and I were recently learning Metzora, and she asked me why the process of getting rid of tzaraat included a ritual of placing blood on the ear, thumb and toe of the afflicted individual, on the one hand, and why it is specifically on the right (and not the left) of all extremities. more

One wonders whether the Mashiach (messiah) and the redemption he is meant to bring still have not come because we are still waiting for him, or because he is still waiting for us. more

Perhaps three of the most iconic and beloved rabbis of our time are Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Each in his own way has given to our faith and people valued insights and teachings that have helped enhance the spiritual quality of our lives for now, and for generations to come. more

As we enter the month of Nisan, the month of Jewish freedom, locally we have been celebrating the growth of Torah. But globally, we see the world shuddering and quaking as terrorism and anti-Semitism rise up in country after country, with Israel attempting to stay safe in a very bad and threatening neighborhood. more