DEALING WITH THE TENSION OF THE HUMAN PERSONALITY Linking the apron and the breastplate There is an intriguing mitzvah (commandment) recorded in this week’s Torah portion: “And they shall bind the choshen (breastplate) by its rings to the rings of the...
On Shabbat Zach- or, we read the final three verses in Para- shat Ki-Teseh which command us to remember the unprovoked attack launched against our ancestors when they left Egypt by the nation of Amalek. This attack oc- curred...
The Megillah introduc- es Mordechai as an איש יהודי and also as an איש ימיני .The Gemara ex- plains this to mean that from his mother’s side, Mordechai descended from the tribe of Yehudah (יהודה ,(and from...
On Purim, we send gifts of food to friends, in fulfillment of the verse “U-mishlo’ach manos ish le-rei’ehu, and of sending portions a man to his fellow” (Esther 9:22). Mishlo’ach manos is one of the mitzvos of Purim. We...
The Symbolism of Haman’s Offer of Silver Shekels The Megillah [Esther 3:9] states that Haman offered to increase the King’s coffers by 10,000 kikar silver in exchange for the right to get rid of the Jews. (Tosfos in Tractate Megillah...
The world may be fascinated with the Royals from across the ocean, but we, the Jewish nation, have our own Royals to learn from and emulate. The news media is following Kate Middleton’s wardrobe, but...
THE THREE LAYERS OF SELF The Jew and the General A Jew ends up sleeping in the same cabin as a Russian General of the Czar’s army. He tells the conductor to wake him up at 4:00 a.m. so...
I would like to take my dear readers on a personal journey. Let me explain. I’ve been reflecting lately upon a vital component to a successful life – and that is to daven to Hashem properly. After all,...
In many shuls, the question arises regarding waiting when a rabbi is taking time for shemone esrei and people are getting edgy, since they have to make the train to work or drive the kids to school. If there...
