Sometimes others know us better than we know ourselves. In the year 2000, a British Jewish research institute came up with a proposal that Jews in Britain be redefined as an ethnic group and not as a … more

Parshat Behar-Bechukoti by Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of May 7, 2010/ 23 Iyar 5770 “The Living Torah” is the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s translation of the Chumash. In addition to the … more

Parshat Ki Savo Issue of August 28, 2010/ 18 Elul, 5770 by Rabbi Avi Billet My grandmother gets "nachas" from reading this column. She told me a few times that one of the things she enjoys … more

It is a conversation I will remember forever. We were in the midst of basic tank training, enjoying a brief respite from the grueling pace of maneuvers and marches. more

In Parshat Emor, the Torah tells us, “You shall then count for yourselves seven complete weeks after the day following the [Passover] holiday when you brought the omer as a wave … more

The prohibition of imbibing blood is one of the well-known mitzvot found in our parasha (Vayikra 17:10-11). In it we find the unusual expression, v’natati panai, which is explained by both … more

In 1948, things did not look promising for the Jews. The armies of Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, prepared to attack the new State of Israel as soon as the British pulled out, vowing to push the Jews … more

Our parsha, Beshalach, begins with an apparently simple proposition: “When Pharaoh let the people go, G-d did not lead them on the road through the land of the Philistines, though that was … more

More than 1900 years ago, on the 17th day Tammuz, the end finally began. After two and a half years of siege, the Roman Legions broke through the ancient walls of Jerusalem and began their savage … more

What is the power of a hug? Sometimes it’s all about the context. Recently, someone sent me a story regarding a fellow named Yankel, a survivor of Auschwitz who began his journey there … more