It was one of the darkest moments of my life, although in retrospect it seems almost trivial. After completing two months of basic infantry training, two months of tank school training followed by … more

Many years ago, at a melaveh malka in Har Nof in the Bostoner Beis Medrash, I heard a wonderful story from Rav Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the Bostoner Rebbe. It seems that after Reb Yissachar, the … more

Anger is one of life’s greatest challenges. Who can resist and overcome its formidable temptations? There is a fascinating moment in this week’s parsha of Vayishlach that demonstrates … more

There is war, and then there is madness. In war, one often has to fight, but when madness sets in, sometimes  one simply has to run. Such was the question on a dark October afternoon in 1973, … more

Eli Wiesel describes one of the most painful moments he ever experienced as a push from behind. Shouting, chaos, dogs barking and attacking, SS guards with guns shouting commands in German which … more

Eternity. What does it mean? Does anything really last forever? Many years ago, in the pre-dawn darkness on an empty Jerusalem road, I discovered just how fleeting life can be. After a very late … more

G o to a Yemenite Jewish wedding or Bar Mitzvah and you will hear the women shouting the yelilot traditionally “sung” at all celebrations. I still recall when being called to the Torah … more

His name was Shachar, which means the dawn, and the joke was with him around it was always dawn, because he blotted out the sun. He was a massive fellow, and watching him squeeze into the … more

Contrary to popular myth, there is no better or worse way to lose someone close to you, but there is definitely a worst way to find out about it. It had been a long day, and I was finally taking a … more

There is a powerful story I heard many years ago but never shared publicly, considering it too fantastic to possibly be true. But having recently read an accounting of it in Yitta Halberstam’s … more