In Parshat Balak, Bilaam never saw the people he was meant to curse. He viewed them from a distance; abstractly, impersonally. His words came not from relationship, but rather from obligation, from po ...

The reason, by the way, that I didn’t really pay attention to the words all those years is because the melody is just so beautiful that I didn’t really care that I didn’t understand the words.

For many, particularly high school students, becoming a US Open ballperson is an incredible opportunity. It's not only a chance to be up close to the world's top tennis stars but also a unique summer ...

While it’s important to have articulate advocates representing Israel and the Jewish people, what is the average person’s role in improving the plight of Jews around the world?

Chani was the first in the family to acknowledge the wisdom of renting out their home, and was more willing than the others to bite the bullet and do whatever was necessary to keep them afloat.

Balak realized that Midyan and Moav, the erstwhile enemies, would have to make a truce and gang up as allies against Israel. But since G-d was on Israel’s side, there was no way he could prevent the ...

Balak precedes the Fast of the Fourth Month (that’s what the navi calls Shiv’a Asar b’Tammuz) almost 80% of the time. That includes, in Chutz LaAretz, the years when Shavuot is Friday-Shabbat an ...

Upon his return to London, Sir Moses was given a hero’s welcome, including a big ceremony and special synagogue services, and, when he met with Queen Victoria to present her with the firman, she hon ...

Rabbi Raphael Isaiah Azulai, a name less known than that of his illustrious father, nonetheless carved out a life of Torah and leadership. Born in Jerusalem around the year 1743, he was the Chida’s ...

One may not sell lions to Gentiles, according to the Talmud, because lions can cause injury to the public (Avodah Zarah 16), to put it mildly.

Coin-like pieces such as this are classified as tokens. A token is not an official government-issued coin but privately made, and is used as a substitute for money or for other purposes like advertisi ...

After Mr. Ploni finished telling his story, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said, Now I know why I smell Gan Eden on you. The neshamos you buried are clinging to you.