On your days of rejoicing, on your festivals, and on your new-moon celebrations, you shall sound a note with the trumpets for your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. This shall be a … more

The Menorah is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Judaism. Therefore, nearly every synagogue in the world contains some form or representation of this sacred object. It seems that the Menorah of … more

“Kakis, tank officer’s course, is one of the most difficult in the Israeli army. Four and a half grueling months of misery deep in the desert, with little or no sleep, just an endless … more

It comes as no surprise to me that more European countries are trying to make life difficult for Jews in various ways. But how should we react? Is it worth fighting prejudice? Should this be an issue … more

This week’s haftarah portion contains two of the most celebrated pasukim of Sefer Hosea: “And I will betroth (v’arastich) you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me with … more

As we begin the fourth book of the Torah, we embark on a journey, along with the Israelites who are leaving Sinai after having been there for 11 months. Not only does the focus of the … more

Parshat Behar begins with the following two pasukim: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the … more

In the Torah, there are a number of times when G-d uses the word v’natati (and I will place or give) to indicate what He will give to the Bnei Yisrael. Sometimes it is good, and in the cases in … more

We’ll call him Gabi (not his real name), a most unlikely recruit. None of us had any idea how and why he had gotten into our unit — he was overweight, to put it mildly, and was always the … more

An open road on a beautiful day, with your kids in the back seat, maybe even a picnic lunch; what could be more perfect? I will always wonder what Tali Hatuel, eight months pregnant, with her four … more