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...

http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a15146/News/New_York.html Sex-Abuse Statute Of Limitations May Be Extended “Numerous studies have shown that victims of childhood sexual abuse typically cannot come forward for decades after the abuse occurred,� said Marci Hamilton, a professor at Car...

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...

“They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking (y’mei mishteh v’simha) and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor.” -Esther 9:22 Other than reading and/or hearing the Megillah, every mitzvah of Purim is mentioned in this one v...

Here's the d'var Torah I wrote for this week's portion in 2007 for the now-defunct Radical Torah. Enjoy! You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeti...

Josh at Parshablog discusses the implications of "miracle stories". Really good analysis.Adventures in Chinuch with another excellent vort, this time discussing from the Parsha how Aharon teaches us a lesson in how we view ourselves and others, and attaches that to Purim and happiness. Aharon wasn't...

Interesting exchange over at the Da'as Torah Blog discussing a teshuva of Rav Moshe on the views cited in a sefer on Chumash attributed to Rav Yehuda Hachasid: Dov said... "Your assertion needs to be documented" Prof. Marc Shapiro has written extensively on this topic in several postings on the Sefo...

Last week the Torah gave a detailed account of the structure of the Temple. This week, the Torah portion of Tetzaveh further discusses different elements relating to the Temple and its service. Primarily, the parshah describes the garments of the high priest (also including the garments of the ordin...

  Purim is a pretty strange holiday. The text we read, Megillat Esther , isn’t a typical biblical book; it makes no mention of the big guy upstairs. Its heroine, a nice Jewish girl bunking with her uncle, ends up in the arms of the non-Jewish king (oh gosh!), and exchanges certain things, namely ...

The prospect fills me with horror but if I could save the whole Jewish people by committing one tiny eeny wheeny indiscretion with a really hot and powerful shiksa who loved to read books, I suppose I could muster the moral fortitude to overcome my instinctive revulsion at the unsanctioned intimacy ...