Re’ei – Killing’s Toll on Killers
Killing takes a toll – on the killed, of course; that’s pretty obvious. But also on the killers. That is something that the Ohr Hachaim introduces in his commentary on the pasuk “And He...
Category: General
Yerushalayim Shorts
You’d think that it might be kind of thrilling to participate in an event occurring for the first time in over 3300 years. It really wasn’t so much. Reflecting on the irony of its...
The DNC’s platform problem
Past Democratic conventions have seen a slow but steady decline in support for Israel in the party platform, ever since Barack Obama became the party’s nominee.
Agudath Israel Condemns Biased UN Tribute to Terror Victims
The omission of any mention of Israeli victims of terrorism from an International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism display at the visitors’ hall of United Nations headquarters is...
Ekev — Consumer Goods
It’s remarkable how prominent eating is in the Torah. The designation of which animals one may eat, the consumption of parts of all korbonos except olos, matza on Pesach, seudos on Shabbos and Yomtov…...
Trump Is No Fascist, And There Is No War Against Torah
We would not expect better from someone as morally and intellectually handicapped as AOC. She had this priceless response to an unnamed, senior House Democrat who said that Democratic leaders had resigned themselves to...
Korach – Democracy and Its Discontents
Few contrasts in the Torah are as stark as the one between Moshe Rabbeinu and Korach. The latter is propelled by jealousy, a blinding sense of self (and self-entitlement). And, like populists who followed,...
Biha’aloscha – Being Aharon
Something special about Aharon HaCohein is telegraphed in the sentence “And Aharon did so,” after Moshe’s brother receives instructions about lighting the menorah in the Mishkan (Bamidbar 8:3). Rashi, paraphrasing Sifri, comments: “This tells...
Naso – Kosher Favoritism
To some, chumros, or stringencies beyond what halacha requires, are always laudable. But in the Vidui Rabbeinu Nissim, recited on Yom Kippur Katan, we confess, amid actual sins, that “What You declared pure I declared impure… what...
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