The Ultra Orthodox Draft

Shavuot
Amid Israel’s war in Gaza, there is talk of drafting yeshivah students into the army to bolster its ranks. On Shavuot, we celebrate the anniversary of receiving the Torah, so I want to write about the role of Torah in war. The Torah is not just a dusty old book …

Ki Tetze: A Winning Strategy

When you go to war, you need a winning strategy. It doesn’t matter how strong or weak your army is, success depends on the strategy. If the generals devise a winning strategy, you have a chance of winning the war. If they don’t have a winning strategy, you have lost …

Ki Tavo: The Ice Bucket Challenge

Timeline
An amazing thought struck me. When ice buckets started to rain down on North America, rockets stopped raining down on Israel. I was curious to see if this was true so I went on line to research it.

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Shlach: Boots On The Ground

Ritual
I’m often asked how to make ritual exciting. It’s sad, but true that many Jewish children are raised with a ritualistic form of Judaism that lacks spirit and it is difficult for them to be inspired by meaningless rituals that feel repetitive and redundant. My answer is always the same. …

Ki Tetze: Unity Saves Lives

Unity in War
In June of 1967 we saw clearly that unity saves lives. If you review the events that led to the six-day-war you will find that Egypt, Jordan and Syria, the nations that attacked Israel, led a coordinated pre-war campaign, whereas Israel was internally divided on how to address …

Vaysihlach: Civilian Casualties

The Ethical Dilemma
Attacked by a barrage of rockets from Gaza that killed several, injured many and terrorized millions, Israel responded with airstrikes against military targets in Gaza. Radar guided missiles attacked terror cells, rockets launchers, bomb factories and Hamas government installations.[1]

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Behar: When Bin Laden Was Gone

Good Things Are Worth Waiting For
One of CNN’s first articles the morning after Osama Bin Laden’s assassination featured reaction from people on the streets of America. One reaction that drew my attention was, “I never thought this day would come; I had given up hope.”

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Beshalach: Love of LIfe

Red Sea
An entire nation had narrowly escaped; the army of murderers, bearing down on them just a moment earlier, now drowning in the ocean. G-d had orchestrated a brilliant rescue. Jews stood huddled on the far shore watching their captors toss helplessly about on the surging waves of a plunging …