Sh’mini Atzeret & Simchat Torah features

IT ISN’T PURIM In popular thinking Simchat Torah is a sort of Purim, a day for carnival jollification. But the popular view is wrong. Simchat Torah...

Breishit: Repairing Humpty Dumpty

Around twenty five years ago, on Shabbat Breishit, I attended a Friday night talk of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt”l prior to Ma’ariv prayers. These...

Preserving National Identity

Parshat Ki Teitzei presents a seemingly harsh set of guidelines for inclusion within the Jewish people. Marriage is strictly limited to pedigreed Jews and,...

Torah reading: Ki Tetzei

WAYS & WARS This week's reading contains much of the Jewish ethic of warfare, as does last week's. It tells us how to wage a war...

Ask The Rabbi – How To Treat A Convert

HOW TO TREAT A CONVERT Q. How should we treat a convert – to Judaism, and away from Judaism? A. The convert to Judaism must be...

Re’eh- Kosher World

At the core of Jewish identity lies Kosher dietary laws and kosher eating. Almost every “identified” Jew maintains some minimal standard of a kosher...

Ask the Rabbi – Abortion

ABORTION Q. Does Judaism permit abortions? A. Judaism regards children as a blessing and procreation as a religious and moral obligation. Through children, a couple cements their...

Ask The Rabbi – Is Judaism Right For Me? 

Is Judaism Right For Me?  Dear Rabbi I am very interested in converting over to Judaism. I was raised Christian, but havefound it is not for...

Bilam’s Lessons of Jewish History

Bilam and Balak’s conspiracy to halt the Jewish advance dominates most of parshat Balak even though the story could easily have been summarized in a few brief verses. Bilam’s prophecies are included, in part, because...

Torah reading: Balak

MAY JACOB CRITICIZE THE TENTS OF OTHERS? Parashat Balak quotes Bilam's praise of Israel – "How goodly are your tents, O Jacob: your dwelling places,...

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