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Vayigash: What You Didn’t Know About Serach, Daughter of Asher
Aside from the foremothers, one of the most talked-about women in Sefer Bereishit is Serach Bat Asher. Even preschool students know her name and her story. But is there more to her than what first meets the eye? Serach’s most famous story, taking place during the events of this week’s parsha, is not mentioned directly…
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Beit Hillel and Our Ascent in Holiness
There is a well-known debate in the Gemarah between the schools of Shammai and Hillel when it comes to how we should light the Chanukah candles: “Beit Shammai says: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases. And Beit Hillel says: the first day one kindles one, and from…
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Does Torah Observance Mean a Life Full of Blessings and Revealed Good?
For some, it would be a fair assumption to say that if we are living a Torah life, a life in accordance with halacha and the correct Torah hashkafot, then Hashem should bestow goodness upon us. We are, after all, living how He wants us to live. We are doing our part, and therefore, it…
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Losing Myself in the Crowd: My Arduous Journey Towards Orthodox Judaism
Who am I? Why am I here? These were the questions I kept asking myself throughout my religious journey, and I am still attempting to answer them to this day. For a Baal Teshuva, the journey towards Judaism can be long and hazardous. I would like to share my journey of coming closer to Judaism,…
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The Folded Garment: Unveiling G-d’s Kindness
On the morning scheduled for my third IVF treatment, I was awakened early by my phone. A call from the IVF unit just before an embryo transfer is not a good sign and the nurse on the line did not have good news. Unfortunately, none of my embryos were viable and the procedure would have…
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The ABCs of Prayer
Where Does the Concept of Prayer Come From? In the Shema, we are given the commandment to ‘serve Him (Hashem) with all your heart’1. The Gemara2 explains that we achieve this through prayer. For this reason, prayer is referred to as the ‘work of the heart’3. Prayer is also a replacement for the sacrifices of…
