Parashat Vayeshev concludes with the story of Yosef’s imprisonment in an Egyptian dungeon as a result of Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations. While incarcerated, Yosef rises to the … more

Every time I hear a chillul Hashem story involving so-called religious Jews going to prison, I contemplate what the term “religious” means. I will not be one to say that people are perfect and … more

I always look forward to. For eight days, I get more and more excited as the day continues and the next night of Chanukah approaches. While life will always have its share of dark moments, the opportunity to spend a week surrounded by close family and friends, re-telling the story of the miracle of the Jewish people’s survival, against all odds, in their battle against the mighty Greek empire, is always uplifting. more

The phrase, “aleh hamitzvot” (“these are the commandments”), appears twice in the Torah — in the concluding pasukim of Sefer Vayikra, and in our parasha, Matot-Masei, in … more

There is a tale of Rosh Hashana in the book of Nechemiah. It was in the initial years of the Return from the exile of 70 years following the destruction of the first Temple. The crowd that … more

Bear with me as I make a case here. Shmot 4:14-16: After giving a number of excuses for why he should not be the Deliverer, including that he is uncomfortable with his own speech-abilities, G-d … more

May 1948. Tough times for the Jewish people, particularly for Jews struggling to claw out a place for themselves in a land they hoped to claim as their own. A few months after the United Nations … more

A black and white image of a Jew being beaten in the streets of Vienna. Jews being forced onto trains and deported. A column of Jews with despairing faces, forced out of town, herded down a … more

Shichaha, the commandment to leave behind a forgotten sheaf of grain for the needs of the poor, is a key agriculturally-based mitzvah that appears in our parasha, Ki Tetze: When you reap your … more

It was a unique, unrepeatable moment of leadership at its highest height. For 40 days Moses had been communing with G-d, receiving from Him the Law written on tablets of stone. … more