With the presidential race now so prominent in the collective American consciousness, the following story is especially apropos. In the Ohr Somayach Yeshiva in Jerusalem, there was an elderly native of the city who prayed with the Yeshiva each morning. On the morning...

Yesterday, while on vacation with the family, I took a fascinating tour of George's Furniture woodwork shop in Marietta, Pennsylvania. One of the many things that impressed and inspired me was how the craftsmen manage to use absolutely every part of the wood. The...

This week's reading begins with G-d's promise to bless those who follow the Commandments, and a curse upon those who go away from them to follow false gods. It is obvious, then, that there's a big gap between the two. One could hope not to stumble into idolatry even...

The Talmud says that a Jew is obligated to pray, based upon Deuteronomy 11:13: "serve Him with all your thoughts -- Livavchem -- and with all your soul." Livavchem is a form of the Hebrew word Leiv, which is most often translated as the heart. In the Torah, however,...

This week's reading contains "Shema Yisrael" -- "Hear, oh Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One." [Deut. 6:4] And what is the next verse? "And you will love HaShem your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." The commentaries explain...

This year the ninth day of the month of Av (Tisha B'av), the day the Holy Temple in Jerusalem began to burn, falls on the Sabbath. This is a rare occurrence on the Jewish calendar and comes with a unique set of laws and observances, as the fast and traditional...