This happens to me all the time: I walk out of a shiur, and my friend asks me, “How was it?” I say, “It was great,” so my friend asks, “What did you learn?” and then I am unable to respond. This is one of the main arguments against Daf Yomi. People dedicate hours of their time to Daf Yomi. But often, if you ask what they learned

On Lag B’Omer I was invited to participate in two Zoom weddings. One was in the Barn Estate in Clayton, Ohio. Yes, the wedding was taking place…in a barn! Only family attended, but since they had many brothers and sisters, they needed a large open area. This huge farm facilitated social distancing. The other wedding took place in the

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance-use disorders. In a recent poll, nearly half (45%) of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively

The actual State of Israel was established 72 years ago in 1948. However, the modern State of Israel as we know it was launched in 1967. The Six-Day War was so revolutionary and so transformative, that in many ways it was more groundbreaking than 1948. Thousands of years ago, God created our natural world in six days. Fifty-three years ago

(Courtesy of Yeshivat HaKotel) An unprecedented worldwide achdut learning experience will take place on Rosh Chodesh Sivan (May 24) at Yeshivat Hakotel.

For the first time in Jewish history, on the date when the Jewish people first arrived unified at the foot of Har Sinai, four Israeli chief

It almost seems obvious what the definition of a “father” is. However, in this week’s parsha we see a broader definition of this term.

The pasuk says, “And these are the offsprings of Aharon and Moshe on the day that Hashem spoke to Moshe at Har Sinai; And these are the names of the children of

(Courtesy of Daf Hashavua) The Yom Tov of Shavuos. The acceptance of the Torah. Not merely a remembrance of what was, but an actual giving of the Torah to those people who study it and hold it dear. Shavuos has always come, no matter where and how the Yidden found themselves. It has come during times of great joy,

When I was learning in yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael as a young man, I attended the world-famous Aish Discovery Program. Despite my growing up with a yeshiva background, it was an eye-opening experience. It was three full days of seminars and exercises with mind-blowing, enriching ideas to digest. One of the closing exercises was to write a

In the modern industrialized world, the mitzvah of shemitah may seem a bit remote with little relevance for our daily urbanized lives. Interestingly, life in Israel has restored the practical relevance of shemitah. In the latter part of the 19th century, when Jewish communities first organized in Israel, shemitah presented an almost unconquerable challenge. Nascent

Imagine the life of those who spend their daily hours working vigorously in their farms, rain, snow or shine, investing an immense amount of time and energy to ensure that their field develops rich and bountiful produce so that they can have food for themselves and their loved ones. For many years they plow, plant, sow and reap, with

Klal Yisrael is magnificent! In the chaos of the COVID-19 mageifa they are showing their love of Hashem and His Torah, in unprecedented ways.

With communities around the world under lockdown and battei medrash closed, Yidden are finding all kinds of innovative ways to learn and focus on

We bentch Gomel (recite the “Gomel” blessing) on being saved from a dangerous situation. How does that apply to the coronavirus? Arguably, everyone in the world is in a potentially life-threatening situation, those in the New York region and above the age of 65 even more so. Additionally, we are now in some form of quarantine. When we