Parshas Vayelech opens with Moshe walking through the Jewish camp on the last day of his life, bidding farewell to his beloved people. He teaches them the mitzvah of hakhel (the entire nation gathering once in seven years to hear the king read the book of Deuteronomy). G-d then addresses Moshe and Joshua (who will […]
Avi labored long and hard in yeshiva. He was a slow student, but he treasured the time he spent learning, and he had found a yeshiva that was just the right speed for him. He loved being part of the high-school Beis Medrash, and despite the challenges learning posed for him, he sat there diligently for […]
Positive Word Power In days of old, soldiers went into battle wearing armor. The hard exterior protected the vulnerable flesh-and-blood being inside. Hoping not to be wounded, the soldier was willing to march miles in heat and rain, bearing what must have been a phenomenally uncomfortable outer garment. Although it doesn’t clank and glisten in […]
Positive Word Power Hey Dovid! I hear you’re looking to switch yeshivos after Pesach! Where are you planning to go?” Dovid bristled. The last thing in the world he wanted was for his long-thought-out decision to leave his old yeshivah to become the latest subject of the rumor mill. Inevitably, that would lead to even […]
President Obama ran one of the most incredible presidential campaigns in the history of our country, featuring a one-word slogan: “Change”. He promised that if he were elected to office, he would change the direction for this country’s future, and the sun would rise on a new era of prosperity and success. Sounds great! Whether […]
For sports fans, especially basketball fans, tonight is a very special night. For tonight, at 9pm-prime time-an extremely gifted and talented basketball phenom, known as “King James” to his loyal fans, will end the suspense and finally announce which team will have the privilege of paying him millions upon millions of dollars, as he signs […]
Stop the world I wanna get off! Do you ever feel like the world is moving at a frenetic pace and you can’t seem to catch up? That even though we have more “stuff” than ever before, and give our children far more than we ever had, our most significant relationships are still lacking? That […]
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I do what I know is right!” Ever come across someone with this attitude? Have any friends or relatives like that? Strong minded. Not easily swayed by trends and fads. A person of principle. While such people are usually not exactly the warm and fuzzy types, making them […]
Positive Word Power When Avraham was 19, he went to Israel with a group of friends to learn in a yeshivah there. Once the school year got underway, however, Avraham and his friends seemed to part ways. Avraham fell in love with learning. He spent every spare moment in the Beis Medrash, taking on extra […]
Positive Word Power The Mendelson family had a quirky sense of humor. They loved to tease one another and were masterful mimics who could quickly capture other people’s mannerisms and speech patterns or simply launch into characters they had created themselves. These “routines” and family jokes wove their way into their conversations whenever the whole […]