Like any good story, the Torah begins with the origin of EVERYTHING: Bereishit. Just as with Spiderman, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’, but when the people in this first chapter of the Torah are given the chance to take responsibility, they do not. They fail. In this season following Yom Kippur, Sam Zitin, associate
Sukkot is an opportunity for seven days straight of happiness. When else do you get such an opportunity? Rabbi David Markowitz, the COO of Aish HaTorah New York, shares the insight from Rabbi Noach Weinberg z“l that if you can focus on what you have AND if you don’t take any pain in what you don’t,
Shanah Tovah from NCSY Alumni! This Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Tzali Freedman, director of Central East NCSY, has some realistic advice on how to make it meaningful without being overwhelmed. There are some practical things you can do between now and Yom Kippur to bring you closer to the Creator during these Days of Awe. If
There is one verse written in the first Torah portion, Parsha Va’Yelech, that lends itself to a fascinating topic: “The hidden are for the Lord our God, but the revealed are for us and our children until forever.” The simple meaning of the verse is that hidden sins are the province of God alone; for these sins, God holds no one responsible but the sinner himself. However, the community at large is responsible and therefore culpable for openly committed sins.
This week’s parsha says that the Torah is no longer in the heavens. Instead, it is for us on Earth. Rabbi Glenn Black of NCSY Canada points out that this same line appears in the Gemara, where it describes an argument between Rabbi Eliezar and the sages and three surprising miracles unfold to prove his
The Torah is one weighty scroll, and not just when it comes time to lift it. Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, the founding Menahel of The Davis Renov Stahler Yeshiva High School for Boys in Long Island, New York, shares the favorite piece of Torah of his grandfather, Rabbi Dr. Joseph Kaminetsky. In Parshat Ki Tavo, not
The month of Elul is here and Rosh Hashanah is nearly upon us. Rabbi Arieh Friedner, City Director of NCSY Cleveland, is reminded by this time of year that we must constantly strive towards perfection: undertaking to build ourselves is like planning to build a house. Find out why we don’t need to be perfect,
In this week's parsha, Moshe is commanded to set up cities of refuge on the East side of the Jordan, but knows that he will not be able to enter the Land of Israel and live to see the fruits of his efforts. Rabbi Yitzchok Dinovitzer points out how this selfless effort is so different than the fashion in which our political leaders operate today.
Is there such a thing as too much Tzedakah? Parshat Reei answers this in two ways. Rabbi Elliot Hecht, alumnus of Long Island NCSY and currently the principal of HANC Middle School, retells a story of two brothers whose generosity knew no bounds.
From this week’s parsha, Eikev, to Migilat Esther and Tehillim, Shoshana Polakoff, alumna of West Coast, Summer and NY NCSY Staff, criss-crosses chapters and verse to weave an incredible interpretation behind bentching, the blessing after eating bread, and how it can inspire action and chesed.