When the Torah and Our Sense of Morality Conflict
A Talmid’s Dilemma Torah Academy of Bergen County’s talmid, Jacob Horn, asked how one should handle portions of the Torah which appear to not be
A Talmid’s Dilemma Torah Academy of Bergen County’s talmid, Jacob Horn, asked how one should handle portions of the Torah which appear to not be
A Glaring Omission The omission of Shevet Shimon from the Shevatim blessed in parshat VeZot HaBracha screams for an explanation. Rashi (to Devarim 33:7) and
Ashkenazic Versus Sephardic Hagbah Ashkenazic Jews who ask why Sephardic Jews conduct hagbah before Kriat HaTorah are asking the wrong question. The question should be:
Self-Mutilation Prohibited The tools necessary to cope with bereavement are inherent in Devarim 14:1. This pasuk tells us: “You are children to Hashem, do not
An Unnecessary Divide I do not think Hashem is happy with the deep chasm dividing different groups of religious Jews in Israel. The gap has
A Dropped Slurpee During the pandemic, a favorite Jachter family activity was to order Slurpees delivered from a local store (see https://oukosher.org/kosher-slurpee-list/ for more information
Secular writers claim that the Torah is incompatible with democracy, since it calls for a king. This misguided conclusion stems from a superficial understanding of
An Upset Talmid A talmid walked into the room very upset. The talmid’s math teacher returned his test, and the results were less than stellar.
Differing Traditions Rav Ovadia Yosef (Teshuvot Yabia, Omer 6, Yoreh Deah 7 and Yalkut Yosef, Yoreh Deah 89:46) permits Sephardic Jews to eat meat after
During a two-day deep dive into OU kosher’s policy to certify “dairy English muffins,” a thoughtful talmid raised a fundamental question: Does Hashem truly care
The Rant A talmid shared a disturbing report of a history professor’s bizarre behavior. The professor devoted 45 minutes of the first day of her
What a remarkable insight from the Ramban, perfect for Parshat Lech Lecha, the beginning of our people! Shirat Ha’azinu (Devarim 32: 26-27) teaches that Hashem