Chapter 28 in last week’s parsha of Ki Tavo is one of the most difficult and harrowing chapters in the entire Torah. Yet, along with chapter 30 in this … more

What motivates some people to do more than just appreciate the blessings they have in their lives and to actually be a vehicle for blessing? This week’s portion, Eikev, contains one of … more

In 1986, an Israeli fighter-plane was shot down over Lebanon; the pilot and navigator, safely ejected from the burning plane, found themselves trapped behind enemy lines. In one of the most … more

More than 1900 years ago, on the 17th day Tammuz, the end finally began. After two and a half years of siege, the Roman Legions broke through the ancient walls of Jerusalem and began their savage … more

I remember, as a high school student, hearing our rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, relate one of the questions he used to ask when interviewing prospective rebbeim for our high … more

There is no more tragic figure in the entire Torah than Moshe Rabbeinu, our ultimate teacher. And there is no part of the story of his life in the Torah that is more confounding and mysterious … more

A few weeks ago, at a now much publicized Rosh Chodesh prayer service at the Kotel, things got ugly. As they have been doing for nearly 25 years, a group … more

This week’s parsha, Shelach, contains one of the most challenging stories in the entire Torah: the story of the spies. It’s an incredible moment in Jewish history. With the … more

Raymond Smullyan, in his book “5000 BC and Other Philosophical Fantasies,” posits the question of two identical twin brothers, one who always lies and the other who always tells the … more

There are moments in time one needs to forget. Often, though, these are moments we really need to remember. Such a moment came into my life on Aug 9th (the 20th of Av) in 2001. An beautiful … more