When a matchmaker dispaired of arranging fitting spouses for the children of R. Levi Yitzchak, the rabbi replied with a keen spiritual insight.

Jacob attempts to cut through the veil that conceals the events of the future, but he is stopped at a certain stage. Why does this happen to him?

Much of Judaism is a vast, sprawling set of

laws that govern what you do. Where’s the G‑dliness, the holiness, in it all?

Rabbi Yaakov Kranz (1741–1804), the Maggid (Preacher) of

Dubno, was known for his ability to make almost any point by way of a parable.

We will start off with the question of non-kosher ingredients and work our way to vaccine made with fetal tissue.

Whatever the direct cause of the separation of the soul from the body, whether a fatal accident or a fatal illness, it could affect only any of the vital organs of the physical body, but could in no way affect the spiritual soul.

Rabbi Chanan Feld was a towering fixture of my childhood—my friend’s father, and my father’s friend. He had the cuddly torso of a teddy bear, the magical beard of a wizard, and the twinkling eyes of a Rebbe. This is how I remember him.

A fire ignited within him, an urgent drive that granted neither time nor space to negotiate. He summoned his inner ninja and did the unthinkable: he confronted the prince of Egypt himself and demanded the release of the Jewish boy. There was nothing to discuss—it simply had to happen!

Refresh your memory and learn something new about the fast of 10 Tevet with this interesting compilation.

The Joseph-Judah relationship and the points at which their paths converge continue throughout history. From the sale of Joseph onward, Judah and Joseph constantly interact with each other, and their relationship continues in various forms. Here, in Parshat Vayigash, their interaction is a confrontation, as the Midrash comments, “‘Then Judah went up to him’ – advancing to battle.”