I picked him up at the airport. He was arriving in Baltimore, where I was then a rabbi, to deliver an address and then return home to New York. The plane was late, so when he arrived, I … more

Parshat Lech Lecha is filled with Divine promises and covenants. Avraham is informed that a great nation will descend from him, and to his credit, he trusts Hashem wholeheartedly: And he put his … more

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on safari in Africa. One night, Holmes wakes Watson. “Watson,” he says, “look up. What do you see?” “I see a beautiful, starry night,” Watson … more

Leaders lead. That does not mean they don’t follow, but what they follow is different from what most people follow. They don’t conform for the sake of conforming; they don’t do what others do … more

The French poet Baudelaire once remarked that the devil’s greatest success is his ability to convince us that he does not exist. Whereas Judaism does not believe in the devil quite as … more

Within the span of just a few verses In this week’s parsha, Noach, the Torah mentions a brit (covenant) seven times. What is the nature of this brit and who is a part of this covenant? Noach … more

So you thought you knew the famous biblical story of Noach and the ark, right? Well, there is a little-known vignette most people don’t know about and is not in the story we usually tell our … more

Last week I held a pair of scissors over my son’s head. Gavriel Asher sat on my lap, curls falling around him, as family and friends sang. It was his upsherin , his first haircut, the moment a … more

In Israel, the term “miracle” has been bandied about, perhaps at times recklessly. However, no one but the most hard-hearted can deny that the remarkably thwarted flydubai jet hijacking with no … more

Hashem said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Breishit 4:9) How could Cain ever think of lying to Hashem? What could he … more