When most people think of Kung Fu, they picture Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan shirtless, focused, and ready to take on some serious opponents. Rarely does one imagine an African-American...
When I was invited to deliver an invocation at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) Summit, I was honored, but I also hesitated. The timing, early Friday morning, was particularly challenging, and there were other considerations as well. After...
This week, a long- standing dispute in Yeshivas Ponovezh finally reached its conclusion. News sites and social media platforms—many of them run by shomrei Torah—reported the story and referred to the two factions by the labels that have...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I’m married for a year and a half. I have a problem. I can’t stand my husband’s best friend. I feel like he’s a bad influence on my...
Much has been dis- cussed over the years regarding Thanksgiv- ing dinner. We will discuss whether such a party is allowed, and if turkey may be served. The underlying point of the debate is whether Thanksgiving is con- sidered a...
I. Close Your Ears The Gemara in Kesubos (5a-b) says, “What does it mean: ‘And you shall have a shovel among your weapons (azenekha)’ (Deut. 23:14)? Do not read it as: ’your weapons’ but as ‘your ear’ (oznekha). If...
And he arrived at the place and he slept overnight there, because the sun had set. Bereishis 28:11 The Gemara (Berachos 60b) teaches that when one goes to sleep, he should recite Shema to provide protection from the...
What makes something a “real” experience? After marrying two sisters a mere week apart, the Torah says that Yaakov loved Rachel “even more” than he loved Leah (29:30). The clear implication is that he loved Leah as well,...
We read in Parashat Vayetze of Yaakov Avinu’s arrangement with his father-in-law, Lavan, whereby he would work for seven years and then be given Lavan’s daughter, Rachel, as a wife. As we know, Lavan deceived Yaakov, bringing Yaakov...
Comparing The Image In Heaven With The Image On Earth: Do They Match? Yaakov Avinu [our Patriarch] dreamt of a ladder that was based on earth, with its top reaching up to Heaven. Angels of G-d were ascending and...