In these weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, there is a widely practiced custom to study Pirkei Avot--the Chapters or Ethics of the Fathers. Some even extend this practice until Rosh Hashana; instead of having one round of study, they complete Avot four times. more

This week’s portion, Re’eh, begins with Moshe’s dramatic presentation of the blessings and the curses, which seem at first glance to be all about the rewards and punishments that await us when we enter the land of Israel, just across the Jordan river: “Re’eh anochi noten lifneichem hayom brachah u’klalah…“See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. more

In the Torah, the city Beer Sheva appears thus named only one time (26:33). Otherwise it is always called Beer Shava. Seforno notes the difference between the vowelization of the two names of the city, while Ibn Ezra offers that when it is called Beer Sheva it might be for two reasons (based on an oath and the number seven) or, perhaps, it is a different (though similarly named) city. more

Relatives of the 11 Israeli team members who were murdered by Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorists during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich have revealed new details of the grizzly … more

T his Shabbat is known as “Shabbat Chazon,” based upon the opening words of our haftarah: “The vision (chazon) of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning … more

Parshat Vayishlach begins with Yaakov’s worries over finally meeting Eisav after many years apart. And while that encounter goes surprisingly pareve-ly, his next significant stop, in Shechem, … more

During the second Intifada, after a wave of violence broke out in Israel, our unit was called up for nearly forty days as part of an emergency draft order. It is difficult to describe how challenging it is to be completely uprooted from your life, literally overnight, with no idea of how long you will be needed, or when you will be able to get back to the routine of job and family. It was more than a challenge; it was often overwhelming. more

It was a glorious Shabbat morning, but truth be told, if I had been left to my own devices, I might have slept all day. But there at the edge of my bed was Benji with his older sister Abigail, … more

In sefer Ovadiah, this week’s haftarah for parshat Vayishlach, the final verse is particularly well-known, since it is recited every day immediately prior to Yishtabach in tefilat … more

Ignorance is bliss.” There was a time not too long ago when these three words would engender a long and interesting discussion, perhaps even debate. There would have been speculation about … more