In this post , I lamented the fact that the modern-day yeshiva system completely ignores the need for physical fitness and physical activity, instead encouraging students to spend as much time as humanly possible engaged in the study of Torah. I wrote in favor of living a healthy lifestyle as a Jewish value as well. Read More »

Audio Shiur: PParshat Mishpatim – The Four Shomrim This shiur is exactly what it sounds like: the source for the laws of the four Shomrim emanates from our parshah. By analyzing the text of the Torah, we come to derive how the halachot of the different types of watchmen emerge. Read More »

My first reaction, upon reading about the OU’s new “Move To Houston” initiative – CHAT (Come to Houston And Thrive – but isn’t that really CTHAT?) was, “What?! Really? The OU wants people to move out of New York…and not to Israel?” Really? We need more Jews in America?Truthfully, we don’t. Read More »

I recently learned about a new series of web shorts produced by a small group of Israeli Yeshiva guys called אנדרדוס – in English, Underdos (I think it’s a play on a combination of Underdog and Dos – which is a derogatory term in Israel that means “frummie.” Ironically, if you yourself are in fact “dosi”, you see it as a badge of pride. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Yitro – The Challenge of Lo Tachmod The recent commercial frenzy surrounding the Super Bowl (an annual event) highlighted the degree to which Western society is obsessed with wanting things. In the attached commercial, Jerry will go to almost any length not just to get the car, but to be the first to get the care. Read More »

The New York Times this morning reported the sad story of Rabbi Menachem Youlus , who admitted in Federal court that his tales of Torah rescue were little more than imaginary, and that he had funneled the money that he raised to save Holocaust Torahs into personal accounts. Read More »

About a month ago, I received an email invitation to the founding meeting of a group that was later named “Beit Hillel”. (Yes, when the group’s founders first formed the organization, they had yet to agree on a name. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Beshalach – Taking the Leap of Faith In hindsight, the Exodus seems so simple, and so obvious. And yet, when we look at the words of the Torah, it’s clear that it was anything but for many, if not most of the Jewish people. The question for us is, are we talking about Egypt of old, or about today? Listen to find out. Read More »

Twice over the past week, I’ve been led to the popular blog of Rabbi Natan Slifkin , a growing star in the “anti-Chareidi” community, who has published a good number of popular books and is now a regular on the American scholar in residence circuit. Yet, each time I tried to access the recommended article, I was blocked by a pay wall. Read More »

Sometimes someone does something that simply takes your breath away. With all the negative news around, I feel the need to share an incredible act of Chesed on the part of a former rabbinic colleague. I can say that I met Rabbi Ari Sytner at rabbinic conferences, and was impressed with him then. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Bo – The Building Blocks of Redemption Using many of the details scattered throughout Parshat Bo, we can find the carefully engineered plan to transform the people that long suffered as slaves, into a nation ready to leave Egypt and become Am Yisrael. Read More »

Some people always seem larger than life, and when they’re gone, you almost can’t believe it, as if you somehow thought that they’d always be around.Rena’s grandmother passed away this morning, and Safta, as we called her, was certainly one of those people.Safta and I hit it off right away. Read More »

My Zeida, Rabbi Dr. Hyman Friedman, z”l Music has always played a major role in my life. I have strong, fond memories of our family singing around the Shabbat table, both when my father was alive, and even after he passed away. Read More »

 On my recent whirlwind tour of the United States, my travels brought me to Lakewood, NJ, for the Sunday evening Bar Mitzvah of my nephew. The next day, I returned to Lakewood to spend the day with my family, as we shopped together before we caught our flight home. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Vaera – The Fifth Cup Having recently returned from a visit to the United States, my Religious Zionist “spidey sense” is going on full blast. So, our study of the four languages of redemption highlight the obvious question: what about the fifth? What about the Land of Israel. Read More »

Can you find me, safely ensconced in the “Outer Circle”? Sadly, the truth has begun to sink in. The evidence seems incontrovertible. I’m getting older. I’m no longer a member of the “younger” generation. Consider the evidence: 1. I just spent the weekend in the U.S., attending the wonderful wedding of my eldest nephew. Read More »

Last night, we celebrated the wedding of my nephew Simcha in Baltimore, MD. The wedding was lovely; lively and leibedik, the Chattan and Kallah radiated a sense of infectious joy. It was wonderful to see members of my family who live in America, albeit briefly. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Shemot – The Forgotten Dream Warning! Hardcore Zionism here, in which we examine the beginning of the book of Shemot as a backdrop for some of the troubling nuance I detect in the American Orthodox community. Don’t say that you weren’t warned.  Click here to download the shiur, or here to navigate to the shiur on YUTorah.org. Read More »

Generally, when you write about something, it’s usually a good idea to make sure that you have your facts correct. For example, I don’t write about what it’s like to live in Syria, for the simple reason that I don’t live in Syria, and you can’t believe everything that you read on the Interwebs. Read More »

Audio Shiur: Parshat Vayechi – Crossed Hands and the Essence of a Nation Yaakov’s crossed hands always bothered me. We all know the story, but why he blessed his grandsons in this unusual manner is far from clear. Read More »