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When I Stopped Taking Small Things for Granted
Most accidents happen in the blink of an eye. Ours was no exception. It was summer vacation and my husband and I were going away with the kids to the mountains. We looked forward to delicious barbeques, picturesque views, and lazy afternoons at the pool. Our drive down was uneventful, and we thankfully arrived at
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Ruchie Freier: A Trailblazer in Law, Faith, and Community
Rachel “Ruchie” Freier stands as one of the most remarkable and unconventional figures in modern American public life. She is the first chassidish woman elected to public office in the United States, which is unusual in the legal profession and virtually unheard of in the tight-knit chassidish community. Rising from modest beginnings in Brooklyn to
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Shelach Lecha: Desiring What Is Forbidden
“Kids, we’re going to visit Grandma and Grandpa, let’s get ready!” You shout up the stairs. “I’m not coming!” Your ten-year-old fights back. “Don’t be silly, we’re all getting in the car now!” “But I hate Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It’s so boring and there’s nothing to do, and they’re so old…!” “Right,” you say,
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Self-Control or Strategic Avoidance: Structuring Our Lives for Success
We’ve all struggled with temptation. Whether it’s an impulsive online purchase, eating junk food when we’re on a diet, or getting distracted when we ought to be working, the battle for self-control can feel overwhelming. But what if there was a simpler way? The Gemara reveals a surprising truth: the secret to resisting temptation lies
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Gluckel of Hamelin: Writing as a Form of Prayer
If you were to step into your local Jewish bookstore on any given day, you’d be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of published memoirs on the shelves. But a few hundred years ago, that was unheard of. And a published memoir of a woman no less? A true rarity. Gluckel bat Leyb, born in Hamburg,
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Beha’alotcha: It’s the Wonderful Manna
Amidst our journey through the desert, guided by the Heavenly pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, the nation is sustained by manna falling from the sky. Food descending from the clouds? It sounds like something surreal. But this was our reality, we lived directly under Hashem’s love and care, receiving
