Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai and the City of Yavne
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai lived during the tumultuous times when the Jewish residents of Judea rebelled against Rome, and the Romans besieged and then destroyed Jerusalem. At the time,…
Accepting Wisdom
“Ben Zoma said: ‘Who is wise? One who learns from all people, as it is said (Psalms 119:99): 'From all those who taught me, I gained understanding'” (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the…
Officers of the Law
The Bible in Deuteronomy states, “Shoftim v’shotrim, Judges and “shotrim” you shall appoint in your cities.” Most English versions of the Torah translate the word shotrim as “officers,”…
Preparing for the Torah
Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…
Surviving and Leading
Although born in Hungary in 1904, Rabbi Yehoshua (Joshua) Menachem Ehrenberg was living in Cracow when the Nazis began their systematic destruction of European Jewry. The city of Cracow,…
Preparing for the Torah
Shortly after the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they agreed to accept the Torah and do all that God had commanded. And so, God declared that He would bring Himself, in…
The Left-Handed Warrior
The Book of Judges tells of the men and women who led the Children of Israel from the time of the conquest of the land of Israel by Joshua until the selection of the first king, Saul.…
The Village of Moses
Immigration scams in which those wishing to emigrate are promised guidance and assistance for a “small fee” are, sadly, not new. Such incidents have been going on for hundreds of years.…
Finally Buried
On the 4th of Adar 1307, the Maharam of Rothenberg was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Worms–fourteen years after his death. The rabbi’s remains were released from the fortress of…
Rabbi Aharon Kotler
Rabbi Aharon Kotler, whose 50th yahrtzeit is today, arrived in the United States in 1941. The Va'ad Hatzalah brought Rabbi Kotler out of Nazi controlled Europe, where he had been a highly…