Our Public Reaction to Hurtful Remarks

Beit El: Modern-Day Site of Yaakov's Dream

The Attributes of Truth and Eternity: One and the Same

What Is the Worth of Shiny Gold?

If the Tabernacle had been built and the Shechina would not have dwelled in it, it would have been like a body without a soul. All its beauty and glory would be pointless; all the gold, silver, and precious stones adorning it would have been mere external trappings - shiny, but without their true meaning and essence...What worth is there to wealth and gold and financial stability and a large house, if the Divine Presence does not dwell within it...

Who Needs Torah-Based Civil Law??

This week's Torah reading of Mishpatim appears to be a major departure from the stories of our Patriarchs and the stories of Divine miracles that we have read until now, in that it is largely a list of civil laws: Who is responsbile for which damages under what circumstances, who pays if one ox gores another, how much a thief must compensate his victim, lost objects, majority rule, milk and meat, and much more. One of the questions we must ask is: Why did the Torah make rules for civil law in certain areas, and not leave them up to the will of the people in each society?

Guarding the Honor of Israel

Some people ask if it is permitted to endanger oneself for the sake of the honor of the People of Israel. It seems from this week's Torah portion that the answer is yes.

Faith and Trust in G-d's Plan Is Happiness

The common denominator between Moshe's anger at Israel and his hitting of the rock for its water

Israel, Gentiles, & Gog U'Magog

Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed explains the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the era of Mashiach and Gog U'Magog.

Yosef & His Brothers / The National Religious & the Left

A comparison of the relationship between the left-wing and the Jewish population of Judea and Samaria (Yesha), and the first ten sons of the Patriarch Yaakov and their young brother Yosef.

The Consolation Before Our Eyes

Translated by Hillel Fendel

Who can truly console us? Who can truly provide words and deeds of comfort? No mortal can truly comfort us, not even the greatest or wisest of men. Only Hashem our G-d can do so!

Complete Faith Brings Happiness

G-d instructed Moshe and Aharon to speak to the boulder and extract from it water. At this point, Moshe speaks very sharply to Israel, calling them "rebels," and then strikes the boulder. Some commentators said that what Moshe did wrong (I don't like saying that Moshe "sinned") is that he spoke in anger to Israel, and others say that he hit the rock instead of speaking to it. The Maharal of Prague explains that these two things are one: Because Moshe got angry, therefore he hit the boulder instead of speaking to it. "Anger" means a lack of happiness, a lack of emuna and trust in G-d. The Maharal says that joy and faith in G-d always come together.

Blurring Differences

discussing the revival of Korah's social ideology in the modern era, and its the rejection of the basic concept in Jewish society that different people have different functions and different ways of serving HaShem.

Not Tests - Challenges!

Construction of the Menorah in the Tabernacle was a very difficult task, according to the Medrash. What exactly was so hard about forming it?

You Shall Not Covet

The Source of All Troubles

God - let me know who you are!

Bereishis - the stories' Chumash

Take Responsibility!

Why Where the Foremothers Barren?

Time to get big!