Fear Leading to Bursting Joy

Brit Milah: It's OK for Gentiles Not to Understand

...The Jew has always been something of a mystery to the non-Jews; they have never really understood us or what majkes us tick. This is especially true regarding the mitzvah of circumcision (brit milah) - and this does not bother us. The non-Jew is not bound by this mitzvah, and he has no need, or ability, to comprehend it...

Vengeance as the Foundation of the Nation and Faith

'Vengeance' - an important but misunderstood concept - is relevant not only to the recent Purim holiday, but also to this week's Torah portion of Tzav (Lev. Chapters 6-8), which discusses laws and procedures of sacrificial offerings...

The Source of Jewish Strength

"What is the source of Jewish strength? Let us be clear that we're not talking about military prowess, strong abilities in various fields, charisma, or even the strength to endure difficulties. Jewish power is of a totally different nature. It has a bit of all the above, but it also has an extra element, something wondrous and different – even bordering on a craziness..."

What Comes Before the Land?

A basic precondition for understanding both the situation in which the Israelites found themselves on the eve of the Exodus, and our situation today, is to remember the following words of the Sages: "Like the first redeemer (Moshe), so will be the last redeemer (Mashiach)" (Midrash Kohelet Rabba 1,28). That is, there are basic similarities between our situation in Egypt and ours today, during the final Geula.

On Memory and Disengagement

One disengagement leads to another, and those who disengage themselves from the past cannot bring us to our true future. Perhaps they can bring us to a Swedish or Luxembourgian version of the future, but not to the real destiny of the Jewish people.