The Real Reason So Many Orthodox Jews Voted for Trump
An article with that title appears at the Forward and can be read here.
Defending Rabbi Sacks
A comment I received on my recent tribute to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l is important enough to deserve a more thorough response than usual. You’ll find the comment below, followed by my long reply...
Undeserving (Parshas Vayeitzei)
Some people’s default attitude in life is “I really deserve more than I have”; others are prone to feeling that “I really don’t deserve what I have.” Most people fall somewhere on the spectrum...
Two Encounters With HaRav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l
By Rabbi Akiva Males Klal Yisroel mourns the recent passing of HaRav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l. In his quiet and unassuming manner, Rav Dovid — as he was fondly referred to by so many —...
“If Only…”
It’s human nature, when faced with something tragic, or even just disturbing, to say to oneself, “If only…” “If only I had done this… or we had done that… or not done this… or...
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l One could have spent all day Sunday reading the tributes to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and still not finished them. Without examining their content, the sheer volume of laudatory...
When Innocence Really Isn’t
Remarkably, in response to Avimelech’s protest over being punished for taking Sarah, Hashem confirms the king’s insistence that he had acted innocently, believing that Avraham and Sarah, as they had claimed, were brother and...
First Person Singular
It’s par for the course, in society today, to publicize ourselves uninhibitedly. Check out my blog! Visit my website! Self-promoting “shout-outs” are the way to go. But once upon a time, not so long...
Can Only a Black Person Explain the Black Experience
Can only a black person explain the black experience? Can only a Jew explain the Jewish experience? Can only an Arab explain Arab culture? Alexandra Duncan certainly thinks so, at least when it comes...
No, Thank You
When, as they approach Egypt, Avram asks Sarai to pretend she is his sister, he explains “so that it will be good for me and I will remain alive because of you.” (Beraishis, 12:13)...