Parshat Vayishlach

“Will the real Ovadya please stand up?”

The author of Sefer Ovadya, and therefore today’s haftarah, is, as the Radak points out, a mysterious figure. Who is he? Rashi follows the view of the Gemara (Sanhedrin 39b) identifying the

Buried deep within the pages of the popular Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, that is frequently studied by thousands of Jews, is a short teaching that barely gets noticed, but is actually of the greatest importance. Near the very end of the book, in Chapter 6, Mishnah 6, we learn there are 48 qualities one must attain in order

Do you want to strengthen your character & maximize your potential? Are you interested in a practical and proven way to help improve your relationships? Are you interested in making a real commitment to personal growth?

A new mussar vaad for men is starting in Teaneck this coming Tuesday, 12/5, led

In Parshas Vayishlach, we have the greatest wrestling match of all time: Yaakov Avinu vs. the angel of Esav. It’s worth noting the word used to describe this wrestling match, vaye’aveik ish—and a man wrestled (32:25). The root of the word vaye’aveik is avak—dust. Rashi (quoting the Gemara Chullin)

There has been a lot of hype lately surrounding the movie “Wonder,” based on the novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio. Just for starters, if you have not read this book, my recommendation is to put down whatever novel you are currently reading and start reading Wonder. If you have any children of school age in your life, ask

This is the first of a series of seven columns that will discuss how events in ancient Egyptian history may have intertwined with the Exodus story told in the Torah, based on a new approach to dating the Exodus and the key milestones that preceded it. The journey to the Exodus began with the Israelites’ arrival in Egypt, as portrayed in

Everyone talks about the differences between the way things are today and the way they used to be. Probably the most frequent discussions surround technology and the enormous gains (if you want to call them that) that have taken place. We still relish the idea of receiving a letter of gratitude instead of a text message, and there

Reviewing: “Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen: Between War and Peace,” by Yechiel Frish and Yedidya HaCohen, translated by Dr. Irene Lancaster. Urim Publications. 334 pages. 2017. ISBN-10: 9655242536.

The hero of this book—Rabbi She’ar Yashuv Cohen, z”l, (1927-2016)—was

Reviewing: “Kesser Dovid: The Halachic Guide to Dentistry,” by Rabbi Dr. David Katz. Feldheim, 2018; 496 pages. ISBN 978-1-68025-329-0.

For the past seven years, while balancing a busy private dental practice along with serving as a department head of oral diagnosis at New

Reviewing: “The Story of Hebrew,” by Lewis Glinert. Princeton University Press, 296 pages. 2017. ISBN: 9780691153292.

Many people have likely heard the claim that Hebrew is the only ancient language to be in active use today. While speakers of Farsi and Chinese may disagree,

Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel

by Francine Klagsbrun, Schocken, October 2017.

Golda Meir was a world figure unlike any other. Born in tsarist

Excerpt: “Ten Times Chai: 180 Orthodox Synagogues of New York City,” by Michael J. Weinstein. Brown Books Publishing Group, 328 pages. 2017. ISBN-10: 1612549268.

It was the day after Yom Kippur in 2014, and being a financial advisor for over 20