Having emunah in Hashem is more than just a method of coping, and making meaning of—and thereby enhancing difficult times. The merit of emunah holds the power to free one from the actual difficult circumstances in which one may find oneself.

When the message of their impending freedom from Mitzrayim

I arrived at the Memphis “International” Airport on Sunday with plenty of time to spare.

The one-terminal airport is quite small, and I wondered what international flights depart from there? I discovered that the sole direct international flights that depart from the airport are to Cancun, Mexico. I

“I did not know what learning just a half hour of Mishna Berurah could do to my life! At the beginning of the machzor a friend of mine told me that a chabura was forming in our shul and asked if I could join. After a bit of cajoling, I agreed. What can I say? Now, from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I

In Parshat Tzav, we learn something fascinating about matzah and chametz, leavened bread. After Aharon and his sons give a korban, depending on the korban, they get “Hashem’s leftovers.” They are told that whatever is leftover and doesn’t burn on the mincha (meal) korban, they will receive it. In addition, Hashem says that

In parshat Tzav, the Torah says that the korban chatat (the sin-offering) should be slaughtered in the same place as the korban olah (the elevation-offering) (6:18). At first glance, it would seem structurally inappropriate that these two korbanot should share the same area for slaughter. After all, as Rashi (“Siddur Rashi,” 23) points

Appreciating the Rambam’s division of Seder Kodshim.

The 14 Sefarim of the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah

Of all the innovative and original perspectives that the Rambam introduced through the writing of Mishneh Torah, the one I

Failure is inherent to human behavior and deeply woven into religious experience. Despite our best efforts to rise above our weaknesses and to transcend our limitations we all, inevitably, fail. Shlomo Hamelech spoke of a tzaddik falling and recovering seven times. In general, he was correct, but he grossly understated the number

Last year, I was driving on the highway and my car kept veering to the right. I turned the wheel to keep the car straight, but every time I put the wheel in a normal position, the car would start to veer to the right once more. I realized that my wheel alignment was off. Really off. I made my plans for a full wheel alignment.

“And He (God) calledto Moshe…” (1:1)

These unusual words introduce the sefer Vayikra, third book of the Torah. Why doesn’t this sefer begin with the usual “And God spoke to Moshe saying…”?

There are two other times in which God

Rav Yitzchok Breiter, HY”D, was one of the great Breslover manhigim of pre-war Europe. As one of the first Jews in Poland to make the difficult journey to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, he was a trailblazer. His journey opened the way for countless Jews to reach Uman as well, inspiring them to draw close to Hashem and to Rebbe Nachman’s path.

Our parsha introduces us to the various offerings that were brought in the Temple, with extensive discussion about the korban chatas, the sin offering. These offerings were brought specifically for mistakes made, rather than for deliberate and malicious acts. Nonetheless, an offering is required as an act of atonement—for a

“And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the ohel moed.” Rashi says that this teaches us that Hashem’s voice stopped, and didn’t project beyond the ohel moed. Not because the voice was low, for it says in Tehillim, “The voice of Hashem is powerful! The voice of Hashem is majestic! The voice of Hashem breaks