In Parshat Ki Tetze we are told about a man who has two wives, one who is beloved (ahuva) and one who is detested (s’nuah) (Devarim 21:15). Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch notes that the term used … more

Tibor Rubin was a Corporal in the Korean War when his battalion was ambushed by thousands of Chinese troops in the battle of Unsan, North Korea, in the fall of 1950. The Americans’ firepower … more

Unaware that she was carrying twins, Rivkah has second thoughts when the “child” in her rumbles around. The rabbis teach us that when she passed a house of study Yaakov tried to emerge, … more

Unaware that she was carrying twins, Rivkah has second thoughts when the “child” in her rumbles around. The rabbis teach us that when she passed a house of study Yaakov tried to emerge, … more

It had been a grueling few weeks. After almost 30 years in the reserves I was definitely getting too old for this — midnight ambushes with 10 to 20 kilometer treks carrying heavy gear and … more

One of the highlights of this week’s parasha, Chayeh Sarah, is Abraham’s considered effort to find a proper wife for his beloved son, Isaac, from among the daughters of his birthplace. … more

Were the forefathers Jewish? Leaving aside the anachronistic usage of the term “Jew,” there are those who argue that while the forefathers were monotheists, calling them … more

I remember that ride, passing Agam Karun (Karun reservoir) and then the road below the Beaufort fortress, imagining what that would have been like if the PLO still controlled that high ground. … more

When we consider the story of the binding of Yitzchak, one of the characters, who played a significant role until this tale is conspicuously missing from the narrative. That person, of course, is … more

There are two times in Sefer Bereishit when we encounter the phrase, “Va’ye’he acharei hadevarim ha’aleh” (“And it came to pass after these matters”), toward … more