Mortal Etiquette vs. Immortal Truth
As you may have noticed, the first day of Shavuos falls on the fourth day of the week this year. Were any Tziddukim around today, they’d be unhappy. They held that Shavuos must always...
Rabbi Nisson Wolpin, z”l: Shloshim Recollections
It was more than 30 years ago, in Providence, Rhode Island, that I received my first letter from Rabbi Nisson Wolpin, z”l. I still have it, and keep it in a safe place. For...
Mr. Berman’s Bubby
“An ugly chapter in voter suppression is finally closing,” declared Dale Ho, director of the A.C.L.U.’s Voting Rights Project. He was referring to the U.S. Supreme Court’s declining last week to judge a North...
Jared and Ivanka: WE Are the Ones to Blame
(This article first appeared in Times of Israel.) In his blogpost Jared & Ivanka: An Embarrassment to Judaism, Sherwin Pomerantz writes that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are creating a Chillul Hashem, a desecration...
Anti-Israeli Hypocrisy, and the Sacredness of Self-Defense
A 37 year-old Jordanian man started stabbing an Israeli police officer this past Sunday, May 14, in Jerusalem and was shot dead in the act by the police officer. (Please click here for a...
The Changing Mind of Modern Orthodoxy?
Dr. Marc Shapiro’s new article Is Modern Orthodoxy Moving Towards an Acceptance of Biblical Criticism is the subject of much online discussion. In this article, Dr. Shapiro demonstrates that Orthodox rabbis are increasingly embracing various facets...
POTUS and the Piñata
“Fire this ignorant teacher for inciting violence against our POTUS,” read one of the many overheated comments to l’affaire piñata (forgive the language cholent). “More indoctrination from the filthy left,” contended another commenter. On...
Will Haredim Soon Sing Hatikvah?
I didn’t think so either, at least not till the news broke that the official national anthem of the State of Israel will not be sung at a departmental graduation ceremony at Hebrew University....
Shabbos Hosting and Guesting – Simple, But Not Always So Simple
Over the years, like most people, we have hosted numerous Shabbos guests from various walks of life. And, like most people, I have been a Shabbos guest at the tables of countless families. After...
No Apologies Necessary, Rabbi Gordimer!
Rabbi Gordimer, with all due respect, you’re mistaken. You didn’t have any explaining to do. You were gracious in your apology, but you cannot truly offer penance when you have done no wrong.