The Pope will be coming to Israel (part of the Holy Land) and there seems to be a problem: Pope Benedict XVI, who confirmed on Sunday that he was coming to Israel in May, will definitely visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, The Jerusalem Post was told on Monday. But he will not tour that part of...

by Reb Gutman Locks at Mystical Paths There have been a lot of Africans visiting the Kotel lately. We are used to seeing many different types of visitors come, but the Africans stand out much more than the rest. They come in large groups and can be rather, well … enthusiastic, to put it mildly. It...

by Reb Gutman Locks at Mystical Paths This question has to do with an old argument that should have been settled a long time ago. Simply stated, should we protect the sanctity of our Holy Torah and its treasured mitzvahs by reserving them for Jews we consider pure and ready, or should we go out and ...

by Reb Gutman Locks at Mystical Paths An Israeli came to the Kotel with a group of young boys. The boys were around 11 years old and he was maybe 25. He was their guard. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder. It’s the reality here that when you travel around the country with a group, especially w...

I was complaining last night to Pidgeon that I didn't feel in the right frame of mind for Yom Kippur this year. That the holiday just crept up on me. That Aseret Yemei Teshuvah was wasted on me, as I didn't get to the Kotel like I had wanted and I certainly didn't spend the time repenting, giving Tz...

NEWS FLASH First official sponsor of Israel's next big war (g-d forbid) is.....Meal Mart! (Complete with logoed stickers that afix easily to soldiers helmets and armored personal carriers). I sometimes love reading the Jerusalem Post online edition because they have some gem articles hidden on the b...

As I write this, the beginnings of a pressure/eye strain headache is starting to throb. I blame it partially on the lack of sleep I got last night, and this time I can't blame Pidgeon's snoring. I am back to my insomnia days of yore, and it's not fun. We went to the gym after 6:00 p.m. last night, h...