When a country sends its army to war, they don’t just teach the soldiers how to shoot and then tell them, “Go to the front!” The great minds of the army prepare (hopefully) wise strategies and tactics to outmaneuver and...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, Hi! I’m a big fan of your column and enjoy reading it on a weekly basis. I’m having a problem dating. My next-door neighbor, Moshe and I...
Time to go home. After twenty long years in the house of Lavan, Yaakov was finally able to return home. While Lavan made the years challenging and difficult, at the same time, HaShem blessed...
This week’s parsha contains the pasuk: “And Yaakov remained alone and a man wrestled with him until dawn” [Bereishis 32:25]. The Medrash sees a connection between Yaakov remaining alone and the “Aloneness” of the Almighty. Even more strikingly, the Medrash...
We read in Parashat Vayishlah that as Yaakov Avinu made his way back to Eretz Yisrael, a mysterious man attacked him, and wrestled with him throughout the night. Yaakov ultimately emerged victorious, although he sustained an injury...
FRIED COOKIE DOUGH BALLS INGREDIENTS: For the Cookie Dough • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar • 2 tablespoons...
Yaakob Abinu was making his way back to Eretz Yisrael with his family when he learned that his brother, Esav, was coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men. He immediately made a...
Brother’s Keeper One day the zookeeper noticed that the orangutan was reading two books, the Bible and Darwin’s Origin of Species. Surprised, he asked the ape, “Why are you reading both those books?” “Well,” said the orangutan, “I just wanted to...
Last week, my doorbell rang but when I answered it, there was nobody there. Instead, I found a vase of flowers outside the front door with a note. Flowers on a random weekday? There wasn’t a birthday or...
This week’s parsha relates the encounter of Yakov with his dangerous and murderous brother Eisav, and Yakov’s admitting that he was fearful of Eisav. These events connect directly to our contemporary multiplicity of antisemitic incidents and horrors all over...