One of the most famous passages in Rashi’s commentary to the Humash is found in the beginning of Parashat Hayeh-Sarah. The Torah tells us that Sarah Imenu lived 127 years, and then repeats, “these were the years of...
Sarah is the only one of our Matriarchs whose age at the time of her passing is documented in the Torah. We are explicitly told the age of each Patriarch at the time of their death, but...
There are many fascinating secrets hidden in Biblical Names and here are two intriguing examples from this week’s parsha Chayei Sorah. The Torah tells us about Efron HaChiti. Here was a man who made it into the Torah for...
Chazal tell us, “Who is wealthy? He who is satisfied with his lot.” That is true wealth. As we wrote, “Hashem blessed Avraham with everything.” The Midrash states that “everything” means Hashem showed Avraham the mitzvah of succah. What is the meaning of this Midrash? Why...
INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs pargiot diced salt, pepper, onion, garlic and paprika Olive Oil 1 cup orzo 2 cups chicken broth juice of one lemon 5 ounces spinach DIRECTIONS: 2 lbs pargiot diced (or white cutlets if you prefer) Season with salt, pepper,...
The Food and Drug Administration has cleared lab-grown meat, created from cultured animal cells, for human consumption. What is the OU’s take on this? Is it kosher? It’s still being reviewed and discussed; the technology is unique. Every company...
Parashat Haye-Sara tells the story of Avraham’s search for a burial plot for his wife, Sara. We read that Avraham purchased the site of Me’arat Ha’machpela in Hevron from a man named Efron, who charged Avraham the exorbitant...
While this week’s parsha, Chayei Sara, tells us of the death of Sara Imeinu, it opens with the words “Chayei Sara, the life of Sara”. Why the “life of” when speaking of Sara’s death....
Touched to the Core The Jewish world is on fire. The bloodbath orchestrated by Hamas and Iran on Shabbos Simchat Torah (October 7, 2023) in Southern Israel has woken up a part in every single Jew that was dormant....
In the early 20th century, universities in America, including elite Ivy league schools, imposed a Jewish quota, denying many qualified and worthy applicants’ entry, simply because they were Jewish. For example, A. Lawrence Lowell, president of Harvard University from 1909-1933,...