Articles:
Do We Really Believe in God?
We talk and act as if we believe in God but do we really believe? Noach built an ark, gathered animals even devoted his life to warning people about the great flood.
Responsible Chinuch
A Shabbos Shuva Drosha by Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Ramat Beit Shemesh 5770 I remember as a child growing up in ‘anywhere USA’ meeting two shluchim of Torah U’mesorah. They had come to our town to talk to parents about sending their children to a Yeshivah. They were...
Rosh Hashana
Close your eyes and imagine what the world must have looked like on the first day of creation. Pristine, fresh, untainted, healthy and unpolluted. Man is created. He is naive, pure and innocent. His face shines from the goodness of his unadulterated soul. His tongue...
Take Your Shoes Off
When Moshe Rabeinu approached the burning bush he heard G-d speak to him. "Take off your shoes!" G-d commanded. "You are standing on holy ground." Why did G-d command Moshe to take off his shoes, and not to cover his head or prepare his heart? There is a great...
Never Enough!
Moshe stood on Har Nevo on the Eastside of the Jordan. He wanted to enter the Land of Israel. He was only steps away but he was refused entry. He looked at Eretz Yisroel. The Torah records that from that point he was able to see across Israel all the way to the...
Chazon! A Vision
Today I was sitting with my studies in my dining room when my neighbor knocked on the door. He was insistent: "You must come and look!" Behind my home sits one of G-ds masterpieces. The beautiful green Judean hills go on for miles toward Jerusalem and Hebron. One can...
Right Eyed
Some people are right handed while others are left. Apparently, there are right footed people and left footed people. Neurologists have discovered that there are right brained men and women and others that are left brained. The mekubalim have taught us yet another...
The Jewish Response
At this time, during the three week period before the Ninth of Av, when so many afflictions have befallen the Jewish people, I want to suggest to you an outlook appropriate for the period. Let me begin with a true story from the Six Day War. As you may know, many...
Off The Derech?
One of the greatest tragedies of our times is when every once in a while a young man or women makes a decision to walk away from generations of tradition, from years of education, from the love and encouragement of his or her parents to embrace a way that our fathers...
Fire Made by God
How can you tell the difference between a fire made by man and a fire made by G-d? A fire made by man gives warmth and light, but only burns while consuming its fuel. If nothing is consumed -" the fire goes out. A fire made by G-d gives light and heat but does not...
Spiritual Competition
The Torah speaks of the greatest moral heights and the lowest moral depths to which we can sink. " ... and if you despise My Laws, and your soul reject My social regulations so that all My commandments be not fulfilled, whereby you break My covenant, then I also will...
Why Did G-d Create Flies?
I spent just a few minutes researching flies. I couldn’t find too much useful information about them. I learned that once the adult house fly hatches from the pupal stage, it has an approximate life span of 15 to 30 days. I also learned that a female house fly can lay...
How To Make Synagogues Holy
An American industrialist once came to visit the Chofetz Chaim of blessed memory. The Chofetz Chaim proudly gave the man a personal tour of his Yeshiva and asked him if he too would like to be a partner in the building of Torah. The man looked at the saintly Rabbi. He...
The Pharaoh Syndrome
Regarding the case of the Aguna of Vilna I see you are leaning toward stringency. You feel the woman should not remarry. The reason you are leaning this way is because you are not here. You do not hear the crying of this woman nor do you see her tears. If I would be...
The Nachas Vacuum
Moshe was eighty years old. He was commanded to become the leader of the Jewish Nation. G-d determined that he had what it takes to be the greatest Jewish leader of all times. Yet, he insisted on the approval of his older brother Aharon. Let's take a closer look....
Yaakov Avinu and Gaza
Being that we have the privilege of living in Israel , I’ve been getting many calls from concerned friends and family that want to know the feeling in Israel over the war in Gaza. Truth be told, I am no political expert (I hope the people making the decisions are) and...
Struggle and Success
"And Yaakov went out…" I picture our father Yaakov leaving Beer Sheva all alone. As his ancestors before him he was walking from Southern Israel to Charan, (the area of Turkey) to search for and discover his marriage partner. He was around eighty years old as he...
Open Your Tent!
As I prepare this essay the world is in the middle of a nightmare in Mumbai. Innocent people were slaughtered, hostages have been taken and closer to home, we are all praying for a miracle for those that have dedicated their lives to Ahavat Yisroel manning a Chabad...