Today, as I celebrate my second Purim as a citizen of the State of Israel, I look back on the past year and I can conclude that, on a personal level, it has been a very successful one. I recall writing months ago that I believed there were a few basic strategies that could ease the klita, the absorption into a new country.

The Rabbis of Blessed Memory (Chaza”l) taught that 30 days before a holiday is the time to already begin discussing the laws and preparing for the chag. As we are 30 days from Pesach at this point, and many of us have already begun the cleaning and other physical preparations for the holiday, JLNJ presents some of the most relevant

In Parshat Shmini, Hashem instructs the Kohanim that when they serve in the Mishkan, and later in the Beit Hamikdash, they not engage in their duties after drinking an intoxicating wine or beverage. Rav Bonim of Pshischa zt”l asks an excellent question on this instruction. The pasuk in Tehillim teaches that wine gladdens the heart of a

Part IV

With one of the darkest episodes in our history, the “Sin of the Golden Calf,” still fresh in my mind, I will fast forward from the lessons on forgiveness gleaned from the dramatic encounter between Yaakov and Eisav, to Parshat Ki Tisah. Many of us can relate to the

A number of years ago a friend of mine married a woman from a very upscale neighborhood. After a few months of Shabbos and yom tov visits with his in-laws he quipped that he feels bad for the first-grade teachers in their local schools. He imagined that the teacher would tell the class that they are going to learn about addition, and

Believe it or not, the secret of weight loss can be found in Megillat Esther, especially in light of an insightful thought from Hazal.

The Gemara (Hullin 139b) compares Haman’s persecution of the Jews to Adam and Havah’s eating from the Eitz HaDa’at. While these two Aveirot seem at first glance to

Shemini 5776

It was the indignity of the whole thing that really got to him.

It was not the first bone in his body that David had broken. When he was ten years old he fell from his bicycle and fractured his left radius bone. When he was fifteen he broke the third

This week we learned Kiddushin 15-21. Here are some highlights from the topics discussed. May the learning serve as a merit le’iluy nishmat Menachem Mendel Ben Harav Yoel David Balk a”h.

Kiddushin 15

Right or

A rare copy of the “Orit,” the Ethiopian Jewish Torah, was delivered last week to the National Library of Israel in a festive ceremony full of singing and dancing.

The scroll, translated from Hebrew to Ge’ez, was written around 400 years ago and used by the spiritual leader of the Jewish

It seems out of proportion. What did Nadav and Avihu do, after all? Was the sin so grave to truly merit a death sentence?

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch suggests the crime was that they felt any compelling reason to offer their own sacrifice at all. On the day of the Tabernacle’s dedication they should

Just over a year ago, Klal Yisrael embarked on a historic journey, a transformative journey of yedias halacha. Over 100,000 Jews from six continents began the journey on Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5775 and today, they are at the cusp of finishing the first chelek of Mishnah Berurah.

A

Seriously ill patients and their families enjoyed an Adar to remember with Chai4ever’s joyous and spirited Purim programming. “Adar can be a time of despair and isolation for families who can’t embrace the joyous spirit of Purim,” explained Sam Zaks, Executive Vice President and Founder of Chai4ever.