Based on the words of Maran zt”l on Yom Ha’atzmaut, 5733 (1973) Israeli Independence Day (“Yom Ha’atzmaut”) The prophet Yeshaya states: “I greatly rejoice in Hashem, my whole being exults in my G-d; for He has clothed me in garments of triumph, wrapped me in a robe of victory, like a groom adorned with a turban, like a bride bedecked with her finery.” We must analyze this verse which likens the way the Jewish nation will one day rejoice in Hashem to the way a groom wears fine

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Price of Misalignment: Memory, War, and the Illusion of Strength Today, Israel stands still. At the sound of the siren, the nation pauses in collective remembrance for those who were killed—soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces whose lives ended in battle. The numbers are heavy: 25,644 since 1860, leaving behind tens of thousands of bereaved families. Yet numbers, as vast as they are, do not capture truth. Words do. We say “fallen soldiers,” as though the

by Ram ben Ze’ev Shoah, Nissan, and the Memory the Nations Impose There are moments in the life of our people when silence is appropriate, and there are moments when it is necessary to speak with clarity. I was not going to write on the day itself, because the day—יום הזכרון לשואה ולגבורה (Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah – Day of Remembrance for the Shoah and the Heroism)—deserves dignity, not distraction. But there are times when remaining silent serves no purpose, and thi

State Department Partners with El Al Airlines to Return Americans to the United States The State Department has partnered with El Al Airlines to arrange non-stop flights, designated exclusively for American citizens, from Tel Aviv to the United States. These flights have already allowed more than 2,000 American citizens to return to the United States from Israel. Tickets for these flights were provided at a discount rate to ensure that Americans wishing to leave Israel have t

A Truly Correct Judgement – Your Clothes or Mine! From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Yitro This Shabbat we shall read about Yitro, Moshe Rabbenu’s father-in-law, who saw his son-in-law, Moshe Rabbenu, adjudicating the people’s cases from morning until evening. He advised him how best to manage the judicial process for the people. In the Torah’s wo

Are we pioneers or latecomers? Commitment to Hashem or flaky belief? (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds, United Kingdom) Parashat Beshalach – Shabbat Shirah In our Parashah, we find two similar pesukim. One, “Am Yisrael entered the sea bed on dry land. The water was on their right and left like [two] walls” (Shemot 14:22). Meaning that the

by Ram ben Ze'ev One Who Wishes to Be Pious — On Blessings, Intention, and Reliance Within Judaism, there exists a necessary tension between precision and presence. On the one hand, we are commanded not to take the Name of the L-RD in vain, which our Sages understood as refraining from unnecessary, careless, or hollow utterance. On the other hand, we are taught to recognise G-D in all things: as the Provider of sustenance, the Source of existence, and the sustaining force of

How Moshe Rabbenu ensured that Paro freeing Am Yisrael had Halachic validity (From the teachings of Maran Rabbenu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series It states in the Parashah concerning the plague of the Smiting of the Firstborns, “Paro stayed up that night [lit. got up that night (see further on)], along w

Taking an appropriate stand when things are wrong in our families, and ensuring our children attend school that educate Torah values (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) Parashat Miketz – Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Chanukah It the Haphtarah of Shabbat Chanukah we will read, “The He showed me Yehoshua, the Cohen Gadol, standing befo