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“And the impure were defeated by the pure.” Throughout Chanukah, this line rings out through our prayers three times a day. We remember how a small...
Is your life today the way you had dreamed it would be? The Torah tells us that our forefather, Jacob, loved Rachel. Jacob was captivated by...
Most of the parshiot of Bereishit discuss the lives of our forefathers. In fact, there are only three mitzvot in the entire book of Bereishit, which...
If you were running for office, which type of campaign do you think would bring you more votes, a campaign that lays out your bold vision...
What a privilege it was to be among the hundreds who came out in support of the event hosted by the Jewish National Fund and The...
Everyone deserves some peace and quiet. Right? A soldier going through intense rehabilitation in Tel Hashomer Hospital, explained to me on Sukkot why Israel is so...
Parshat Noach narrates the story of Noah, the great flood, and the subsequent covenant between G-d and humanity. The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that this parsha offers...
Several years ago, I officiated at the funeral of a lady named Neilah. Intrigued by this unusual name, I asked her family for some background. They...
Rabbi Elimelech Biderman relates that someone once asked Rav Avigdor Miller how he should prepare for the judgement of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rabbi Miller...
The Torah portion “Arami Oved Avi”, (Deut. 26:5), recited when bringing the first fruits (bikkurim), is significant in Jewish tradition. It’s also the central passage of...
As the Jewish people face one of the most trying times in recent memory, the words of Deuteronomy 21:10: “When you go out to war against...
Have you ever seen a sign on a shop that the store is temporarily closed for stocktaking? Why would a businessman want to close up shop...
The month of Elul is upon us. It’s a time to prepare ourselves for the high holidays and the new year, when we hope we’ll all...
The name of the portion this week is “Ekev”. The word, “ekev” has a double meaning. Ekev means the heel of a foot, and it also...
We now live in the post 7 October era. Every Jew has been forced to take a sincere look at their Jewish identity. The brutality of...
This week, we begin the last book of the Torah: Devarim (Deuteronomy). It contains the words that Moses speaks to the Israelites on the plains of...
In relation to the tribulations of exile and the hope for redemption, the Gemara at the end of Tractate Makkot relates the following: “Once, Rabban Gamliel,...
A breach is made in the wall. The enemy begins to pour in through the opening. Scenes of carnage follow. Burning, pillaging, murdering, torturing, and violating....
I heard a wonderful podcast some months ago with Rabbi Ido Fachter, the head of Beit Midrash LeMaaseh (the Practical Beit Midrash), in which he engages...
Believe it or not, there was a time when Moses was afraid. Yes, the greatest leader of all time, the man who vanquished Pharaoh, split the...
Parshas Korach tells the dramatic story of Korach’s rebellion against Moshe and Aaron. Korach, a Levite, challenges their leadership, claiming, “The entire congregation is holy, and...
Perspective. What a difference it makes. How we look, where we look, and the way we look at things always colours our impressions. In this week’s...
Some say this weeks’ parsha, Beha’alotcha uniquely encompasses three books of the Torah. The Gemara (Shabbos116a) explains that the two pasuk portion in our sedra (10:35-36)...
Upon returning a Torah scroll to the Ark, the custom is to recite the verse, “It’s an eitz [tree] of life to those who take hold...
What’s the one blessing you seek most from G-d? Is it financial success, health, or perhaps the blessings of family and friends? This week’s Torah portion,...
My recent flights to the United States to visit our family over Pesach was via the United Kingdom – let’s put those Discovery Miles to work...
Rabbi Akiva is the hero of the Omer, read at this time of year between Pesach and Shavuot. After suffering hardships and setbacks, he kept on...
The Jewish spirit is alive. And it’s burning brightly. Whether you attribute it to fear, resilience, or a rude awakening, the fact is that Jewish identity...
The number one Jewish question in South Africa furiously making the rounds in the Norwood Pick n Pay and Checkers in Cape Town is, “Where are...
The month of Nissan has special significance in Jewish tradition and is emphasised in the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Nissan isn’t...
The prophet Micah said, “You will give truth to Yaakov and kindness to Avraham as You took an oath to our forebears from days of old.”...
A recent study came out that doesn’t seem very shocking: children are more likely to ask Google a question than a parent. Most will agree that...
As we come this week to parshat Pekudei, the end of the book of Shemot (Exodus), and prepare to embark on the grand journey into the...
In this week’s Torah portion, we learn about the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert. The Torah commands us to make a dwelling place for...
Our Talmudic sages instruct us to be careful not to embarrass bread. Why would anyone think of embarrassing bread? More puzzling is how does bread get...
One has to wonder why the Torah goes into such great detail to describe the construction of the Mishkan – the Tabernacle – which the Jews...
It took much convincing from my kids, but finally I relented and accompanied them to a cricket game. Admittedly, I don’t have much personal interest in...
This remarkable journey called life is made up of peaks and valleys, triumphs, and disappointments. King David writes in Psalm 92, “It’s good to thank Hashem;...
Sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella in his book, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, writes about how golf is inherently a game of mistakes. The...
As the people were busying themselves gathering the spoils of the Egyptian cavalry who had drowned in the Sea of Reeds and washed ashore, Moses, we’re...
