The Value of a Smile
Before his passing, Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, and then his own. Our Sages explain to us that each blessing is filled with prophetic insight, words which each brother in particular, the brothers overall, and all of their descendents, needed to hear. And when Yaakov...
There’s No (Real) Excuse
Special Opportunity: we have an extension on the Early Bird offer in this year's raffle! You must get your entry in by January 10, at which point a lucky winner will receive two tickets to Israel (or $2500 Cash), and still be in the running for the $100,000 grand...
Points of Light
The holiday of Chanukah is often misunderstood. People imagine that it was a fight of military prowess and for political liberty. Yet neither of these is true. Chanukah, rather, tells us that we can accomplish miracles when we truly dedicate ourselves to G-d.
The Recurring Lies of Laban
The story of Laban and Jacob is critical to our understanding of anti-Semitism, the pernicious hatred of Jews. We know this from the Passover Haggadah -- we learn briefly about Pharoah, read that this hatred happens in every generation, and then continue, "go and...
Don’t Follow the Herd
Last week we learned that Avraham and Lot had separated. Lot moved to the fertile land surrounding the city of S'dom, yet he retained some of the traits of his holy and generous uncle. So when two disguised angels came to the gates of the city, he rose to greet them...
Ends and Means
In the Torah, human life is of infinite value. Every person around us is of infinite value, and deserving of respect. And that even includes the one in the mirror.
