Mother, May I? Maya and Maia
The name Maya ranked as the fifth most popular name for Jewish girls born in Israel in 2023.
Sefiras HaOmer: Achieving The Impossible
How do we, as physical and limited beings, transcend our finite dimensions? How do we relate to the abstract, to the infinite, to the spiritual?
What Compels Us To Speak Lashon Hara?
Another equally problematic motivation for speaking lashon hara is the desire to feel good about oneself. We all desire to feel important, significant, and worthy of respect.
Love Is Not Enough
There is an order to the universe, part moral, part political, part ecological. When that order is violated, eventually there is chaos.
The Challenges Of Getting Older
One of the central themes in Jewish thought regarding aging is the concept of generational continuity. The Torah often emphasizes the importance of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next.
The Ultimate (Heartfelt) Improbable Tale
According to the information that he was given, his good friend from Auschwitz, Yozo Weiss, was now a taxi driver in Tel Aviv! Lonely Latzi just had to find Yozo.
Lashon Hara:The Ultimate Corruption Of Speech
Do you ever wonder what people really think about you? Whether they think you’re brilliant, caring, and fun; or lazy, self-centered, and boring? The truth is that you’ll never know; people only talk about you openly when you’re not in the room.
Food For Thought
After the Flood, G-d gave humans permission to eat meat, but this was a concession, as if to say: Kill if you must, but let it be animals, not other humans, that you kill.
The Most Misunderstood Sin In Jewish History
When you do something – even something good – without being commanded, all you are reflecting is yourself. It is your personal form of avodah, self-contained, limited, and disconnected from Hashem.
Time And Its Transcendent Connection To Pesach
Makkas bechoros was unique in that Hashem Himself performed this Makkah (Rashi, Shemot 12:12). The Ramban explains that all the principles of hashgacha pratis were displayed through these events. We were clearly then on an immensely high spiritual level.
The Chametz Alarm
I rummaged and rummaged through every pocket in the bag while the tag continued to beep. And lo and behold – while I was still trying to locate the tag, what did I come up with but two little packages of chametz snacks!
Education: The Key To Success
If you want to be a great leader in any field, from prime minister to parent, it is essential to think long-term. Never choose the easy option because it is simple or fast or yields immediate satisfaction. You will pay a high price in the end.
Inspiring Insights for Your Seder Night
Nothing in the physical world is objectively good or evil, rather, everything has the potential to be used for either good or evil. The choice is solely up to you!
Blessed Buddies
What do Pope Benedict XVI, Barack Obama, Naftali Bennett, and Hosni Mubarak all have in common? Yes, they were all political leaders in the early 21st century, but this column is about names, not politics. So, my answer is actually that all their names are related to each other. Let me explain.
The Crux Of Our Egyptian Slavery
When G-d redeemed us from slavery he saved us from purposeless work and life without purpose.
Returned
This bag has got to go. Please ask a clear shaila, explaining what efforts you’ve already done and what the requirement is now.
Transcending Ego To Connect With The Infinite
As human beings, we are naturally resistant to external instruction or direction, preferring to do things only when we want to do them.
Why Do We Sacrifice?
Physically, we are almost nothing; spiritually, we are brushed by the wings of eternity. We have a G-dly soul.
The Beis HaMikdash: A Place Of Connection
We all yearn for connection: to ourselves, to other people, and, of course, to Hashem. But connection is difficult; it requires time, patience, and constant effort. Genuine communication takes a lifetime to achieve.
Mirrors Of Love
The Egyptians sought not merely to enslave, but also to put an end to, the people of Israel. One way of doing so was to kill all male children. Another was simply to interrupt normal family life.
Yearning For Connection: The Secret Of The Mouth
What happens when you don’t eat? You become faint. What happens if you continue without food? You will pass out. And if you still don’t eat, your soul will leave your body and you will die. Eating maintains the connection between your soul and your body; it is what keeps you alive.
From Elimelech to Elimelech
I am anticipating a deluge of angry letters from people listing off important persons named Elimelech that I’ve ignored, but the truth remains that despite the continued use of that personal name since Biblical times, Elimelech was always a fairly rare name until the times of the Noam Elimelech.
The Joy Of Giving
What most people would have done is to leave all those items behind, to become the next guy’s problem. But my incredible in-laws are definitely not most people.
The Status Of A Fetus In Halacha (Conclusion)
In other words, we are normally not allowed to kill one person to save another; however, because the rodef is engaging in an act of attempted murder, there is a special din of chiyuv missah on the rodef that allows for the hatzalas ha'nirdaf with the life of the rodef.
The Birth Of A New Freedom
People think they are free because they have been taught that all morality is relative, and you can do what you like so long as you do not harm others.
Purim: Our Existential Battle Against Amalek
Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual.
Where Else?
Every once in a while we are treated to the induction ceremony of soldiers which takes place in the large open area above the Kotel. Sweet and handsome, these 18 year olds solemnly swear to defend our country, promised to us centuries ago by Hashem to our holy Forefathers.
The Aesthetic In Judaism
The word kavod – dignity or honor – appears sixteen times, but in fourteen (2x7) of these cases the reference is to the glory of G-d.
Haman And Today’s Battle Against Amalek
Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world.
Divinely Arranged
Lo and behold, both my niece and nephew decided on an arrangement that I had rejected just a few minutes earlier! And although it was not particularly my taste, I was so beyond grateful that they both agreed that the style, the colors, the flowers, basically everything about it, would be to our mutual in-laws' liking.
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