Akiva's Emuna

Rebbe Akiva was born with every disadvantage. He was the son of a poor convert. Until age 40, he was an illiterate migrant worker. Yet, he became the the greatest of sages and surpassed the monumental greats of his generation. How did such an underdog become the father of the Oral Torah?

Gideon's Holy Commandos

Draft the Haredim? Don't draft the Haredim? The debate is meaningless until Israel decides what type of army they want. An army like Gideon's adheres to one set of rules only, and they're neither conventional nor politically correct. And, only the best are fit for service...

Your Word is a Witness

A beautiful story in the Gemara tells of a young man who valiantly saved a lass from drowning in a well. This story teaches that breaking a promise is a severe transgression of Torah that triggers extreme difficulties in life. These difficulties frequently manifest themselves in a measure-for-measure manner. That way, a person with spiritual awareness can recognize what he or she did wrong and atone accordingly.

The Happy Fish

To keep the fish in our aquarium happy and healthy, we must follow specific guidelines, otherwise the fish will suffer. Are we any less important that the fish?

The True Leader: Parshat Shmot

In this week's Torah portion, we learn the qualities that exemplify a true leader. Moses possessed all of these attributes. We'll see them again soon when Moshiach arrives...

All for the Best: A Lesson in Emuna

Joseph and his brothers return to Egypt after burying their holy father Jacob in the Land of Israel. The brothers are terrified. They thought that Joseph was kind to them as long as their father was alive. But now, they fear that he will seek revenge for their selling him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph comforts them and teaches them a lesson in emuna that we all must learn. Source: Genesis, Chapter 50, Parashat Vayichi. 

Receiving the Torah with Emuna

Only seven short weeks prior, the People of Israel were still slaves in Egypt. But now, they willingly accepted a different type of servitude, accepting the yoke of the Torah and its commandments. They had no idea of what to expect. Three Hebrew words changed the course of history. The greatest sound and light show that the universe ever saw was about to begin…

The Book of Ruth: Part 1, Introduction

We don't need Hollywood or Netflix. If you want to enjoy a poignant love story, open the Book of Ruth. You'll also encounter a deep moral and social message that you'll never find in Hollywood.

Anything but Whiskey!

Here's a delightful parable I heard from the renown Novardoker Maggid, Rabbi Yankel'e Galinski, of saintly and blessed memory, about a group of drunkards. This is something to keep in mind not only while preparing for Purim and Passover, but all year long.

Preserving the Fine Wine

Caesar's daughter couldn't understand how the great Rebbe Yehoshua ben Chanania was so scholarly yet so unsightly. He answered with an interesting comparison, as told here (based on the Gemara, Tractate Nedarim 50b)...

Strengthening the Soul

When your throat is parched, you drink. Negative emotions are a sign that the soul is parched. It feels weak. Here's how to quench its thirst.

No Solution in Sight: Parshat Beshalach

Israel is now in a situation where no viable solution is in sight. Any massive attack on Hamas central command endangers the hostages, whom the terrorists use as a human shield. Negotiating with Hamas simply perpetuates their power. What do you do in such a situation? This is the same exact predicament that Israel was in at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. See how the Torah is the blueprint for current events, especially this week.