This week’s portion, Tetzaveh, opens with a particular mitzvah which seems at first glance to be rather out of place: Hashem tells Moshe: “Ve’Atah Te’tzaveh Et B’nei Yisrael, Ve’Yikchu’ Eilecha’ Shemen Zayit Zach- Katit La’Ma’or – Le’Ha’alot Ner Tamid.” “And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to youpure olive oil which was crushed for the light, to raise up a continuous [daily] flame” (Exodus 27:20) more

In a recent essay Rabbi Daniel Rose wrote the following that will serve as the keynote to this week’s essay: “These days of Purim,” the Book of Esther says, “should be remembered and celebrated.” On the Shabbos before Purim, we read about the Torah’s instructions that we never forget the cowardly attacks of Amalek, the primordial nemesis of the Jewish people. “Remember,”…..This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor – the Shabbat of remembering. more

I don’t care very much to compare women and men simply because I think the comparison isn’t fair. Human we all are, but other than the obvious physical differences, I believe that the natural differences that come from being different genders make comparisons ill-conceived. It’s almost like comparing a tennis player to a soccer player, wondering which is a better athlete. more

By the time you read this column it will probably be T-minus 2 days to Purim. Are you panicking yet? Have your shaloach manot been packed? Your Seudah shopping completed? Your costumes picked out? Back in the day, I don’t remember any panicking. Shaloach manot consisted of a few different pieces of elegant cakes, placed in pretty little colored paper cups and a fruit placed in the middle of the plate. more

A group of Yeshiva students wished to visit Kever Rachel many years ago, before the creation of the State. However, Moshe found that he was unable to get his donkey to move at all! No matter what he did, the donkey remained immobile, until he spoke to it in Hebrew. Perhaps this is one of the messages of Purim; it`s necessary to combine the donkey (in Hebrew: it hints to the physical) with the spiritual ... more

HAFTR students have been very busy the last several weeks with many exciting events. A major event was the 23rd Annual Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN), in which HAFTR students represented the countries of Mongolia and Belgium. more

Local churches and synagogues may get a helping hand from the federal government, in the form of federal grants to repair damage they sustained in Hurricane Sandy. With a vote of 354-72, the House of Representatives approved legislation on Feb. 13 that would extend to houses of worship the same eligibility for federal disaster relief grants as any other nonprofit organization. more

Don’t fight Jewish students’ battles To the Editor: Neither Kenneth Ryesky’s letter nor Bayla Brenner’s article addressed the substance of the Brooklyn College controversy or offered any meaningful solution to the issue of BDS on campus. more

The fourteenth century poet, John Lyndgate, famously wrote an axiom about one’s inability to please all people all the time. Though this quote is often attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, its roots are much older; older even than Lyndgate in the 1300s. As it turns out, Megillat Esther sends the same message, and this idea frustrates people, like me, who try to make everyone happy. more

As a pulmonologist and a long time member of Hatzalah, it was natural for Dr. Zev Carrey to have been at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. “I was there after the buildings came down. What was notable,” he said, “was that there was nothing to do.” His choice of occupation also brought him into the maelstrom following Hurricane Sandy. “I did spend time in a mobile medical van in Belle Harbor,” he said. “I offered to see people who needed medical attention after the storm. They were in their homes without the ability to get medical care. I helped provide medical care to those who had no access to medical services and were homebound.” more