Ah, the devious Benjamin Netanyahu! Just when we are on the cusp of a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations, Israel’s slippery prime minister introduces a potential deal-breaker, in the form of insisting that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. more

Last night, as I got dressed for a Chabad dinner honoring my dear friends Janet and Lior Hod, I inhaled and zipped up my dress. “Hmmm, this zipper won’t break, will it?” I thought. Not willing to think I gained weight since I wore it last, even though I know I did, I chose to take a chance as I was running late. more

This Shabbat we commemorate the start of the Pesach holiday season with Parshat Hachodesh. Next Tuesday marks Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Recently, the Orthodox Union released an interesting book on this subject, “Yerach Tov: Birkat Hachodesh in Jewish Law and Liturgy,” by Rabbi Elchanan Adler of Yeshiva University. more

I recall, after my cousin Benjy Hillman was killed in the Second Lebanon War, hearing of one particular Shabbat when Benjy, a company commander in the Elite Egoz anti-terror unit, was due to go home on leave. It’s difficult to describe, to anyone who has not experienced it, just how valuable a weekend pass is in the army. more

A simple reading of the Gemara in Arakhin 16a informs us that tzaraat, a spiritual disease with a physical manifestation that is definitely not “leprosy,” could come upon a person for one of seven sins: lashon hora (slander and gossip), murder, swearing in vain, immorality, haughtiness, theft, and stinginess. Raise your hand if you might get tzaraat if such a disease were extant today. (We can all put our hands down now.) more

Napoleon — that delicious flakey pastry oozing with rich pastry cream. How did the pastry get it’s name? In attempting to define “Napoleon,” I found many different explanations as to where and how it was discovered and why the name was chosen. more

This year’s annual Torah cycle witnesses the publication of three new variant commentaries on the Vayikra (the Book of Leviticus), each timed to the annual reading of this centerpiece of the Chumash. more

Recognizing Israel as the Jewish state has become a hot issue this past week, raising the question: Why did Netanyahu bring it up now, and why does Israel need recognition as a Jewish state anyway? more

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to take a long-overdue vacation with my family in Walt Disney World.For our children, who had just spent the better part of a year dealing with the day-to-day challenges of living in Israel post-Oslo, and especially watching their father constantly in and out of the army reserves, Disney must have seemed like a fantasy world, and I was curious to see how they would respond to the educational challenges it would present. more

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 11:6) records a strange narrative surrounding the appointment of Aharon and his sons as the Kohanim. more