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...
The horrific October 7 attacks were such a surprise and shock that soldiers stationed elsewhere or away on leave for the holiday dropped everything they were doing and ran to the south to join the fight. Soldiers who...
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. Where to Daven Soldiers, like all professionals, use their extensive training and experience to inform their behavior in the field but ultimately they must improvise based on real-life circumstances. Tanks offer limited room for personal movement. They do not...
I. Employment and Slavery The issue of drafting Israeli yeshiva students into the IDF is a perennial political topic. I would like to discuss a related topic but without any political connection. In order to survive, a country has...
I. A Time for War Koheles (3:6) notwithstanding, there is never a good time for war. We hope and pray for a time when there will be no war. But when war is necessary, presumably there should be...