R eb Moshe Chaim Tiefenbrun was one of the personalities I grew up with, and one of the two people who first introduced me to nusach, the beautiful melodies of our liturgy and prayer. He was a … more

The Talmud tells us that when Yosef was confronted by the temptress, his master Potiphar’s wife, he was able to control himself and overcome her advances because he saw his father … 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

After not having seen each other for 36 years, Yaakov returns to the land of his fathers, to be confronted by Eisav. “Eisav ran to meet them. He hugged [Yaakov], and throwing himself on … more

This week’s column is dedicated to the memory of Ezra Schwartz and Rav Yaakov Don, two lights we will never forget. Prince Charming doesn’t always find Cinderella, and stories do not … more

One of the more challenging fact-finding questions we encounter every year is “how old are the Biblical heroes in the tales which are shared with us?” In some cases the Torah tells us, … more

Every year, Shabbos Chayei Sarah is accompanied by a special Jewish gathering in Hevron, the “City of the Patriarchs.” The source for this is our parsha, in which we find Avraham … more

There are a number of three-word verses in the Torah. Some of them would seem to require no commentary, as only names are mentioned. See, for example, 25:14, when three of Yishmael’s children … more

When Steve Jobs was 17 he saw a quote: “If you live each day as though it were your last, some day you will most certainly be right.” In a Stanford University commencement address in … more

Many years ago I had the privilege of sharing the land of Israel with a Birthright group for ten days. One afternoon, when we visited Emek Habacha, the valley of tears, I shared with them one of the … more