by Ram ben Ze’ev The modern term “Jewish heritage” is often used to blur Jewish Status In recent days, we have seen public figures speak about their children needing to “fully appreciate the roots of their mother’s Jewish heritage.” The phrase sounds warm, evocative and harmless. But in Torah terms, it raises a serious question: what, precisely, is meant by “Jewish heritage”? Judaism is not a costume, not a sentimental lineage, and not a cultural aesthetic. According to הלכה

by Ram ben Ze’ev Bitcoin at $65,500: Cycles, Confidence, and the Question of Finality Bitcoin currently trades at $65,500. That number must be understood in context. In October 2025, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $126,098. From that peak, the present price represents a drawdown of roughly 48%. That is not catastrophic by historical standards — but it is significant . Bitcoin has established a pattern across prior cycles: dramatic advances followed by severe corrections.

by Ram ben Ze’ev Mazel Is Not Luck: A Call to Reject Modern Idolatry On 7 November 2024, I wrote about “ Mazel, Divine Flow, and Trust in HaShem .” It is necessary to return to that subject, because the confusion has not diminished. If anything, it has deepened. The phrase “Mazel Tov” is still casually translated as “Good luck,” as though Judaism endorses randomness, cosmic coincidence, or the mechanical alignment of stars. It does not. It never has. Mazel is not luck. Mazel

by Ram ben Ze’ev From Screens to Souls: Reclaiming Our Emotional Priorities In an age of constant connectivity, many people find themselves grieving public figures as though they had lost a member of their own household. Social media feeds fill with tears, tributes, and declarations of personal loss. Yet in truth, the person mourned never knew their names, never sat at their table, never shared a moment of genuine life with them. This is not shared life . It is confusion betw

מאת רם בן זאב חייזר קורא תנ״ך בדרכו לכדור הארץ מחזור חדשות אמריקאי יכול להפוך אמירה אגבית ל"גילוי" בתוך פחות משעה, והימים האחרונים היו מקרה מבחן מושלם. ברק אובמה השמיע הערה שנשמעה כ"אישור", הנשיא טראמפ הגיב כאילו נחצו גבולות מסווגים, ואז הסיפור הסלים לדיבורים על שחרור תיקים. לפני ששואלים מה משמעות הדבר עבור התורה, ראוי לומר בפשטות שאין בכך תחליף לראיות, ואין להתייחס לכך כתיאולוגיה. אמירה פוליטית איננה ממצא מדעי. נשיא לשעבר אינו מחויב לדייק, ולנשיא מכהן יש כל תמריץ לשלוט בכותר

by Ram ben Ze'ev Alien Reading Tanakh Enroute to Earth An American news-cycle can turn a throwaway line into a “revelation” in under an hour, and the past few days have been a perfect case-study. Barack Obama made a remark that sounded like “confirmation”, President Trump reacted as though classified boundaries had been crossed, and then the story escalated into talk of releasing files. Before anyone asks what this means for Torah, it is worth saying plainly that none of this

by Ram ben Ze'ev The Obligation to Read the Megillah: Night and Day When the month of אדר (Adar – joy-filled month) arrives, our service of G-D reaches its crescendo in the reading of the מגילה (Megillah – Scroll of Esther). This is not a custom, nor a sentimental commemoration. It is a binding obligation upon every member of כלל ישראל (Klal Yisrael – the Jewish nation): men and women alike must hear the Megillah twice — once at night and once again by day. The source of this

by Ram ben Ze’ev G-D Is Not a “Jewish Word” — And That Is Precisely the Point A recent article published by Chabad raises the question of whether “G-D” is a Jewish word. The answer, of course, is no. It is English. And that simple fact clarifies far more than it complicates. The Torah was not given in English. The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself through the language of קדש (kodesh – holiness), through names such as אל (El – Mighty One), אלוה (Eloah – G-D), אלקים (E

by Ram ben Ze'ev Marc Chagall painted the original gouache/oil painting Lot's Daughters (also known as Loth et ses filles) around 1931 in France The account in בראשית (Bereshit) 19:26–38 is not written to shock us. It is written to warn us. Lot was not saved because he was righteous. The Torah states clearly that אלקים (Elokim – G-D as Judge) remembered Avraham and removed Lot from the upheaval. His rescue was in the merit of Avraham. That detail is not incidental; it is cent