Charles Krauthammer would have been an inspirational figure even if he hadn’t become a writer. The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, who died on June 21 at the age of 68, was laid low as a … more

It is almost July 4th, that most American of all American holidays. I am a true and unabashed patriot, especially on the Fourth of July, and I love the parades, the concerts and the many, many … more

Our parasha, Balak, contains one of the most famous pesukim in the Torah: “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael!” (Bamidbar 24:5). Basing himself on Bava … more

Pirkei Avot (5:22) contrasts the virtues of Avraham with the vices of Bilam: Whoever possesses a generous eye, a humble spirit and a meek soul is a disciple of our father Avraham; but one who … more

Although President Trump has simply been continuing the policies of his predecessor, under whom there was nary a peep about child immigrants, the hysteria surrounding family separation at the border … more

Barely noticed outside the Balkans, one of the world’s most intractable diplomatic disputes was finally resolved this month. The parties are Greece and its northern neighbor Macedonia, once a … more

It seems as though Hamas is itching for another war. In recent days, no less than 45 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Two of them landed near a community center, and one just … more

One of the saddest “what might have been”s of the Holocaust was the story of Joel Brand. In the spring of 1944, the Jews of Poland, Western Europe, Belarus and the Ukraine were largely … more

One of the more profound lessons in our liturgy can be found in Tehillim 128: “See the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” Beyond Jerusalem itself, the verse serves as an … more

Newly released for your learning pleasure this summer, and especially appropriate for the upcoming Three Weeks, is “The Spirit of Torah: Penetrating Insights into The Chumash,” by Aaron … more