Author: Avi Shafran

The Devarim-Beraishis Bridge Idea

The Chasam Sofer notes that the Torah’s last word, “Yisrael” and its first one, “Braishis,” share the letters aleph, shin, resh and yud… spelling ashrei. Ashrei can be translated as “praiseworthy” or “fortunate.”  That...

The Threesome Chain

Over the past few weeks, I have been sending out short thoughts on the upcoming parsha to my list of subscribers, who receive links to my Ami Magazine column and other things that might...

A Note from Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel

A Note About an Unfortunate Article August 28, 2020 By: Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel A number of people have called my attention to an anti-Agudath Israel screed that was recently published as an op-ed...

My Final Post on the “Open Letter”

And so the pilpul chaverim — and chaverim we are and will always be — goes on! But this will, bl”n, be my final posting about the much discussed (b”H) open letter about Torah...

Thank You, R’ Avrohom

Thank you, R’ Avrohom, for responding to my question. (Hey, we might as well address each other directly, and just let others “listen in,” no?) I understand why you feel that my point #2,...

Truths Both in Theory and Application

I was gratified to see my good friend Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer — whose writings have always made me thankful for his pen — address the “Open Letter” that a handful of people, myself included,...

An Open Letter

Sinai, Not Washington An Open Letter to the Torah Community The unhealthy confusion of Torah values with politics brings disrepute to Torah and harm to Torah Jews. No party platform can substitute for our...

A Personal Note

Dear Cross-Currents Readers, I have been posting weekly columns here for several years, recently, reprinted from Hamodia and, more recently still, self-published. My column is now appearing in Ami Magazine, and my agreement with...

Polishing the Badge

Like most everything these polarized-perspectives days, talking about the police seems to demand the taking of sides — either with ‘em or agin ‘em. But, of course, that’s nonsense. One can, and should, fully...

An Upside to Israeli TV

A piece I wrote for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about how several example of recent Israeli television shows, including a new “reality series,” are serving to “normalize” charedim for non-observant Israelis can be read...

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