Nov 18
Nov 18 The Weekly Ramban Series (Parshas Vayishlach): Should Man Rely On God, Or Give It A Go?

According to a fashionable view, you shouldn’t try too hard. Everyone should put in their hishtadlus — some minimal effort — but no one should believe that this effort affects the outcome. Man depends on God’s grace and God’s goodness for success…

Dec 13
Dec 13 The Kollel System & Four Rabbinic Responses To The Enlightenment

R. Moshe Shure

Parsha, Community, Editorial

This week’s parsha speaks of Yaakov’s meeting with Esav. Chazal teach us that we should learn from Yaakov how to relate to, and interact with, the nations of the world...

Mar 30
Mar 30 From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 5): Bridging The Gap — The Legacy Of Yehuda & Peretz

Zach Sterman

Parsha, Yaakov To Yisrael, Chumash

In this, the final section of the series, we will explain that the legacy of Yisrael, though ostensibly not fully realized by Yaakov himself, was achieved through his children...

Mar 8
Mar 8 From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 4): Yaakov's Silence — A Thematic Approach To Deena & Shechem

Zach Sterman

Chumash, Yaakov To Yisrael

In Part 3, with help from R’ Menachem Leibtag, we studied Rashbam’s groundbreaking approach to Yaakov’s fight with the angel. These episodes culminated with a prophetic name change: “no longer will it be said that your name is Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with the Divine and with man and have overcome.”...

Feb 22
Feb 22 From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 3): Divine Altercation – Why Yaakov Fought The Angel

Zach Sterman

Chumash, Yaakov To Yisrael, Parsha

In Parts 1 and 2 we have seen a clear developing pattern from the beginning of Yaakov’s life. The Torah introduced us to Yaakov’s character through three anecdotes...

Feb 11
Feb 11 From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 2): Life On The Run

Zach Sterman

Parsha, Chumash, Yaakov To Yisrael

The Torah introduced us to Yaakov’s character through three anecdotes: 1. His peculiar birth. 2. An explicit description of his personality — “Ish Tam.” 3. The story of Esav verbally transferring his birthright to Yaakov. The contrast of Esav and Yaakov’s characters builds the framework through which we will understand Yaakov’s personality...

Feb 8
Feb 8 From Yaakov To Yisrael (Part 1): Introduction — The One Who Grasps The Heel

Zach Sterman

Yaakov To Yisrael, Parsha, Chumash

In order to engage in comprehensive Torah study we must first establish our methodology and intention. The Torah is a book of prophesies composed perfectly by God, and it therefore wastes no words and was conceived through Divine wisdom. As a book of prophecy, the Torah’s goal is to deliver the message of God, though at times its messages are cryptic and challenging...

Jan 5
Jan 5 Justifying The Murder Of A Nation?: A Study Of The Morality Of Shimon And Levi

Moshe Bochner

Machshavah, History

After the Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden at the end of World War II, resulting in the death of an estimated 25,000 civilians and destroying much of the city, there was much controversy as to the moral justification and legal basis for the attacks. Ever ready for sensational propaganda, the German government seized the opportunity, exaggerating the number of civilian deaths nearly tenfold, while using the attacks as a pretext for abandoning previously signed agreements on humanitarian rights, and claiming that the city of Dresden had no war industries and was solely a cultural center...

Nov 27
Nov 27 Parshas Vayishlach: Understanding “Katonti” & How To Receive Gifts Like Yaakov

Devir Kahan

Parsha

At the beginning of Vayishlach we find Yaakov greatly distressed as he prepares to meet his brother, Eisav, for the first time since he fled all those years before…