Steve Brizel writes: The Mandatory Half Shekel R. Yitzchak Adlerstein, based upon the teachings of the Nesivos Shalom, illustrates how and why personal growth is dependent on partnering with the greater community of Klal Yisrael: link Why Every Jew Counts R. Shlomo Riskin reminds us that while we ar...

I’m glad I’ll never be susceptible to that charge. "You have nothing to lose!" I’m often told by people in positions of authority. They envy my freedom. I can speak my mind. I can engage with dangerous people. I don’t have to worry about my reputation. Can you imagi...

My CFS makes the outside world a frequently scary place because I am just not strong enough, much of the time, to tackle it. Despite all my yoga and Alexander Technique and healthy eating and meditation and therapy, I’ve been plunged into a relapse of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome the past two w...

From The Jerusalem Post: Widespread assimilation is the greatest threat to Jewish existence in Europe, the continent’s top rabbis concluded at their meeting in Paris last week, calling for a return to traditional Jewish family values and major rabbinical intervention. On the opposite side of t...

Rabbi Gil Student writes: The Purpose of the Priestly Garments R. Mordechai Willig reminds us to emulate the character of Aharon HaKohen in our everyday conduct: link R. Shalom Rosner discusses many halachic aspects of the Bigdei Kehunah: link (audio) R. Berel Wein explains the symbolic role of &ldq...

In some ways, these two spiritual paths compliment each other. In other ways, they conflict. I have been studying and practicing Judaism for 20 years. I have been practicing Kundalini Yoga for two months. Here are the most significant differences as I understand these two paths: * Judaism is obsesse...

Here’s my first post about Rabbi David Brenner. His response. I then reached out to Rabbi Brenner via Facebook. Tonight I sent him these questions and he promptly emailed back his response. LF: How should Kellogs have reacted when their spokesmodel Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marij...

A couple of weeks ago at yoga, I told the teacher how much I hated the class, how much rage and resistance I had to the exercises, and I said she was cruel. A brunette in the class agreed with me. She’d found it difficult too. She also found herself filled with rage. We ended up raging for an ...

From Beth Jacob: To the Los Angeles Jewish Community, ORA: The Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, is organizing a rally to protest the abusive behavior of Meir Kin, who is mesarev le-din by the Rabbinical Council of California (RCC). Our posek, Rav Hershel Schachter, shlit"a, fully supp...

I was on Marc Germain’s radio show last night. I tell Marc that the first few chapters of Genesis should not be taken literally. Then Marc stumps me: "Which parts of the Bible should we take literally?" From my live cam: ChaimAmalek:  "Jesus, if you give me wealth and hot s...