The Reuters dateline for February 10th headlined, “Explosions kill 17 in Syrian city of Aleppo.” more

Rabbi Etshalom’s new commentary, “Between the Lines of the Bible” volume two [OU Press / Urim Publications, 2012] is unique in many ways, however, simply put, for an English work it is quite different in both content and organization. more

According to Dr. Rachel Kolander of the Department of Music of Bar Ilan University,”The Hebrew word shirah has three meanings: poetic writing,often incorporating rhyme and having a specific, known meter; musical vocal production, combining acoustic parameters and textual meaning; more

With the advent of the Jewish month of Shevat, and Shabbat Shirah, can an early spring be not too far behind? With this warm thought in mind our focus for the next two weeks will be upon several literary works that hopefully will give you a clearer picture concerning the importance that this time of year represents in the Jewish tradition. more

In 1916, in Portsmouth, Virginia, a little boy named Max was born. In two years his family, the Gifters, moved to Baltimore and when little Max was old enough he was sent to receive a full public school education. What was to follow in Max’s, now Mordechai’s, life was the legacy of one of America’s first native born sages who was to help redefine the status of Jewish religious learning both here in the United States and the world. more

His legacy includes the Chasidic families of Kapitznitzer, Novominsker, Boyaner, Apter, and Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev. more

He was one of the all time greats in Jewish thought and theology. Although a mystic he was venerated by non-mystics. According to Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, one of the first to translate his teachings, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto [Ramchal] “was one of the most brilliant thinkers of the past several centuries…his depth of thought and systematic mind are evident in all his works. more

I begin this essay with the following little known episode that is truly a Chanukah themed saga. Rabbi Elchanan Samet of Yeshivat Har Etzion in his study on the Book of Psalms writes, “In Natan Sharansky’s book, “Fear No Evil” [Public Affairs, 1998], the book of Tehillim plays an important role in the account of the difficult years of his imprisonment until his release.” more

One unique liturgical feature of this holiday is the recitation within the Amidah, and Birkat Hamazon of Al Hanissim acknowledging the miracles of that long ago era, of history’s first open conflict , the struggle for freedom of religion between pagan domination and monotheism; Greek culture versus Judaism. more

It was not until the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, that the importance of Rashi’s commentary in Chabad theology became apparent to the outside world. more