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It is hard to believe that it’s already six years since the petirah of my beloved mother, Rebbetzin Esther Bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, a”h. Ima was – and through her…
“The world breaks everyone, and afterwards some are stronger in the broken places.” — Ernest H e m i n g w a y Broken The simple reading of the…
I am a frequent traveler and sometimes I find myself in a motel with a kitchenette. Am I able to go to the local fish store and purchase kosher fish?…
The mental health of the patient is also strengthened by obtaining for them blessings from a Gadol, and informing them that people are praying for them by the Kosel and…
The opening section of Parashat Ekeb describes the prosperity and good fortune that are promised to Beneh Yisrael if they obey Hashem’s commands. However, the Sages inferred from the second…
And you shall write them on the doorposts of your homes and your gates. (Devarim 11:20) The Mezuzah stands like a sentinel at the door, we pass it whenever we…
Five conversations that should take place over the course of dating and even within marriage itself. What are the critical things to look for in dating to determine if someone…
I. What’s In a Surname? Last names serve to identify an individual with greater specificity. There may be many men named Yosef ben Ya’akov in the marketplace but Yosef ben…
In Parashat Ekev, Moshe Rabbenu recounts one of the most tragic events in our nation’s history – the sin of the golden calf. As we recall from the Book of…
One who would take time to study how an airplane has the capability to fly through the air would be inspired with true Yira Shomayim. It is truly remarkable how…
INGREDIENTS: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes salt, to taste ground pepper, to taste 2 heads broccoli, chopped 2 carrots, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced SAUCE 1/2…
Shemiras Einayim A basis for yiras Shamayim is to be cautious with what you see. This can explain why the fear of Heaven is called Yiras Shamayim. The word יראה†,fear,…
In the mishebeirach we say by the Torah for one who is ill, we ask Hashem that they should be granted a refuas hanefesh and a refuas haguf, a healing…
Shabbos Nachamu An ancient sefer (written by an Italian gadol) called Sefer Minhag Tov, writes, “It is a good custom not to take a haircut before erev Shabbos Nachamu, and…
The tenth and final of the Ten Commandments recorded in this week’s parsha (Vaeschanan) reads: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; you shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor…
Last month, over two consecutive nights, almost 50,000 women gathered at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey with an overflow crowd watching via a live hookup in a nearby…
The Shabbat after Tisha B’Ab is known as “Shabbat Nahamu,” a reference to the portion from the Prophets read on this Shabbat, a section from the Book of Yeshayahu (40)…
The Shabbat after Tishah B’Av is famously known as שבת†נחמו†, a reference to the haftarah read on this Shabbat which tells of Hashem’s call to console the Jewish People as…
The internet and related technology offer us unprecedented connections across the world. As with any tool, how we use it makes all the difference. Therefore, because of the great stakes,…
“Nachamu, Nachamu Ami – Be comforted, be comforted My people.” (Yeshayahu 40:1, Haftorah for Parshas Nachamu) The Nine Days and Tisha B’Av are behind us. Was it only a week…
INGREDIENTS: 3 -4 lb second cut brisket or deckle 1 1/2 cups water 2 tsp seasoned salt 2 tsp garlic powder 1 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup ketchup 1/2…
This past Sunday, Pete Alonso registered his 94th and 95th RBIs, extending his National League lead and pulling him within two of Yankees out elder Aaron Judge for the most in…
The role of a caretaker is certainly not one that we ask for. Surely, it is a very daunting and challenging responsibility. At the same time it is a sublime…
Waiting for Moshiach A group of people were speaking to the Brisker Rav zt’l about the tzaros the Jewish nation was undergoing at the time. Someone present sighed in desperation,…
This year Tisha B’Av is nidcheh—it is postponed from Shabbos to Sunday, the Tenth of Av. When do the various prohibitions of the Three Weeks end this year? Normally, all…
“May G-d, the Lord of your fathers, add a thousandfold more like you and bless you, as He spoke to you.” (Devarim 1:11) The Jewish people, Rashi informs us, were…
I. The Call-Out One of the features of social media behavior, one of the ways it allows people to protest injustice, is through something named a “call out.” I would…
Willpower. A woman is leaving her multimillion -dollar mansion in Beverly Hills when a poor man approaches her and cries, “Oh ma’am, I haven’t eaten in three days.” To which…
The Gemara in Masechet Kiddushin (32ha-b) brings Rav Yosef’s ruling that a Rabbi is allowed to forego on the honor owed to him by virtue of his Torah scholarship. Rav…
In this issue we will discuss the halachos that apply to the nine days. During the nine days we are not allowed to do many more actions than those that…
The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that all the troubles we experience are due to the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash and our exile. That catastrophic event…
It is not enough to hope for redemption, we must be the catalyst for it. On April 11, 1944, a young Anne Frank wrote in her diary: Who has made…
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup halved grape tomatoes (can substitute with a can of undrained diced tomatoes) 1 small zucchini (about 1 cup), diced 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen…
Originally from New York, Rabbi Gavriel Friedman has spent the last two decades studying and teacing in various Yeshivos throughout Yerushalayim. Rabbi Friedman a.k.a Rav Gav grew up in Woodmere,…
This Friday, July 29th, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av is the 22nd yahrtzeit of the Bobover Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Halberstam (1908-2000), son of Rav Benzion, grandson of Rav Shlomo, founder of…
When one remembers that everything is from Hashem, he will be humble. People tell the following story: There was a poor person who lived in a run-down home at the…
We are starting the Nine Days, a time of mourning for Yerushalayim and the Bais Hamikdosh. A time of remembering what we once had. A time of davening that we…
Beginning Rosh Chodesh Av until after Tisha B’Av (the Nine Days) the custom of Ashkenazim is not to eat meat or drink wine, in remembrance of the destruction of the…
And they said, “We will build sheep pens for our livestock here and cities for our children.” (32:16) The Jewish people reached the plains of Moav, the jumping-off point for…
The Sages instituted many leniencies to permit the classical agunah, a woman whose husband has disappeared and cannot remarry without proof of death. How far would they go? In Kesubos…
Sometimes we wonder if we’re being petty. When somebody left us off his invitation list, and we feel insulted, we start wondering if we’re being petty. When somebody gets up…
Recently, I was invited by my friends, Michael and Suri Kest, to do a speaking circuit in Los Angeles, California. One of the places I lectured was in the Yeshiva…
After rising for many years, the divorce rate in the United States today is lower than it was a decade ago. But before you celebrate, the reason is not because…
The Torah in Parashat Maseh b r i e f l y mentions the death of Aharon H a ’ k o h e n , noting that he passed…
In this issue we will discuss the halachos that apply to the nine days. During the nine days we are not allowed to do many more actions than those that…
In Search for a Successor. The Old Man. Arnold had reached the age of 105 and suddenly stopped going to synagogue. Worried by Arnold’s absence after so many years of…
INGREDIENTS: 4 cod fillets, each 6 ounces 1 lemon 1 teaspoon chicken-flavored soup consume powder 1 cup hot tap water 1 tablespoon butter, softened 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons…
INGREDIENTS: 1 medium red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices 1 large sweet red pepper, halved, stemmed and seeded 1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices 1 yellow summer…
A massive fire broke out this past Sunday early morning in the building next to T-Spoons restaurant in South Fallsburg. Flames & clouds of smoke could be seen a mile…
In Search for a Successor. Miriam has died. So has Aaron. Hashem tells Moses that his turn is about to come. “Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and…
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup diced zucchini 1 diced yellow bell pepper 1 large diced tomato 1/2 cup diced red onion 1 diced jalapeno pepper 1 tablespoon diced garlic 1 lime 1…
We are now at the beginning of the period called Bein Hametzarim, known more commonly as the Three Weeks. As a nation, we mourn the destruction of our two holy…
This week, Anne Frank trended on Twitter, not because of her famous diary or because she was a victim of hate. I cannot believe I am actually writing these words,…
In Parashat Pinhas we read about the census that was taken shortly before Beneh Yisrael entered the Land of Israel. The Torah goes through all the tribes, listing the major…
The time of the three weeks is a time when we avoid many activities. Why do we refrain from such activities? What are included in these activities? Below we will…
A fable is told of a poor, homeless man who knocked on the door of the large home of a certain wealthy man. “I need a place to live,” the…
This week’s parshah carries the name of Pinchas, son of Elazar, grandson of Aaron HaKohein. Pinchas is known as a kanai, a zealot. A devoted fighter for HaShem’s honor, determined…
Some may argue that lashon hara is the worst aveirah of the Torah. As the Gemara (Yoma 9:) writes, “ the, aveirah of baseless hatred [and…
Catskills Hatzalah is the largest all-volunteer Ambulance Service in the Catskills, providing premium quality prehospital emergency medical treatment and ambulance transport at no cost to all who need it. Catskills…