War is full of tragedy. Soldiers, civilians, society — nothing remains the same. People suffer injury, loss, death and displacement. Israelis today are experiencing not just war but trauma from the horrifically brutal October 7th attacks and the ongoing mobilization,...
I. Four Exemptions Soldiers in the field are often pressed for time and lack access to basic necessities like water. Of course, they have to eat to sustain their strength. Must a soldier wash his hands ritually before...
I. Prohibited Fear Fear is a normal reaction that often serves a helpful purpose of avoiding danger. However, during war, fear can endanger lives by delaying response time and impeding important actions. The Torah seems to forbid fear during wartime....
After the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7, there was a sudden burst of interest in tzitzis. So many people, particularly soldiers, wanted to start wearing tzitzis that there was a severe shortage. Based on the sudden demand, the...
I. Allowing a Sin Most religious Jews are raised and educated in a like- minded environment with schoolmates and friends from a similar background. Depending on the family and community, religious Jews have some exposure to non-religious Jews. Often, the...
I. Shoes Off In the Diaspora, Ashkenazim perform Birkas Kohanim (the priestly blessings) only on holidays. However, in most places in Israel, it is done every day, albeit without the lengthy singing. This is a biblical requirement, which raises the...
A soldier in active times, which sadly we find ourselves at the time of this writing, often has only a few minutes a day in which he can learn Torah. In this extremely limited time, what should he...
I. When to Recite Gomel One of the thankful and praiseful blessings we recite is Gomel, in which we thank Hashem in public for preserving us in a dangerous situation. A soldier engaged in combat certainly qualifies as emerging...
I. Non-Slaughtered Meat A surprising leniency gets a brief mention in the Talmud but might have practical relevance for Israeli soldiers today. Jewish soldiers have to keep kosher, of course, and sometimes that requires some effort in the IDF....
I. Singling Out a Teaching When you say something, sometimes the loudest part is what you leave unsaid. The Gemara (Bava Basra 164b) warns against praising someone because that can lead to criticizing him. While this needs to be...