It was the first time, as an officer, that I came under fire. Well, sort of. We were stationed on the edge of the Bekaa valley, in Lebanon, and intelligence had information that terrorists might try … more

I once met a fellow who was born in Germany, but managed to get out in 1938, in the nick of time. Some people don’t think of such a person as a survivor in the same way as someone who survived … more

The beginning of Parshat Bechukotai paints an image of the kind of blessing we hope to receive from G-d. There are three conditions that Israelites must fulfill before they can enjoy G-d’s … more

In his Sefer Hamitzvot, Rambam states that there are two mitzvot to be gleaned from the verse, “Do not desecrate My holy name. I must be sanctified among the Israelites. I am G-d [and] I am … more

JERUSALEM —A void that can never really be filled; a loss that is much more than personal, it is generational. We have lost the greatest of us, and now we are, truly,  an orphaned … more

Vayikra 18 introduces the Torah’s list of forbidden relationships with the instruction to Moshe to tell the Israelites, “I am G-d. Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you lived, and as … more

Last week I quoted the Midrash Aggadah on “Yom HaShmini” who raised the possibility that one of the interpretations of Kohelet 11:2, which speaks of seven becoming eight, is that of Rabbi … more

Along with all of his students, Rabbi Freedman, Rosh Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem’s Old City, attended the leviya on Tuesday for Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein z”tl. In place of a new column, … more

Explosions, gunfire, the sounds of battle, lashab (lechima be’shetach banui) urban warfare. No place to hide, nowhere to run, no time to think.  The army teaches many things; one of the … more

This week and next week, the Torah portion begins with the phrase “yom ha shmini,” referring to an eighth day. In this week’s parsha Shemini, the reference is to the eighth day of … more