The 13 Principles of Emuna, codified by Maimonides, are the timeless foundations of Jewish Faith. This special video introduces you to them and also introduces Rabbi Lazer Brody’s bestselling book all about… [Read more...]

Sure, Jewish history in the Ukraine is bittersweet. On the bitter side, there are the murderers Khmelnitsky and Gonta. On the sweet side, there are the Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman and our grandparents. That sweetness permeates the pages of "Chassidic… [Read more...]

To paraphrase the tire manufacturers, "where the rubber meets the road" is the nit and grit of life. This world is no picnic. The test of our "spiritual tires" is how well we hold up under the challenging conditions of real life. Today's lesson shows how to avoid negative emotions and to maintain a… [Read more...]

The Chassidic Movement began in the Ukraine with the holy Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760). Many of the Chassidic Masters came from the Ukraine, such as the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rebbe Nachman of Breslev and many more. Ukrainian Jews have a very rich folklore that teaches us life's true values. This story… [Read more...]

The Hebrew term for washing hands in the prescribed ritual manner is netillas yada'im. It seems like an insignificant mitzva, but the exact opposite is true. There is an amazing connection between netillas yada'im and Purim. What's more, this mitzva is very conducive for strengthening emuna and… [Read more...]

The Almighty is not only the Creator, but the ongoing Director of all creation as well. As He in His Divine wisdom defies logic, so do current events defy logic. Take for example, the juxtaposition of a comic and a Cossack, both in Kiev, both leaders and heroes of the Ukrainian people, but so very… [Read more...]

Before prayer, we do a warmup. We remind ourselves of the Almighty's mercy before we pray. Take no blessing for granted. Ponder how each day of life, each breath and each heartbeat is a priceless gift. There are 3 particular points that we must review in our… [Read more...]

We are now in the birth pangs of Redemption, or Geula. Today's events are simply pieces of the Geula puzzle. Meanwhile, everything is unfolding just as the Torah, Midrash, Zohar and Gemara told us they would. This is the Megilla of today, the story of Hashem setting the stage for… [Read more...]

Meet Naama Berger, Israel's #1 rock drummer in the mid 1990's. She was an Olympic weightlifter too. As the Israeli women's team 48 kg competitor, she broke the record for Israeli Women's powerlifting. Today, as a rabbi's wife and mother of five, she's still rockin' full throttle. Meet this amazing… [Read more...]

How many parents can objectively and honestly say that they focus on the good points of their children? How many parents are always forgiving? What parent places a child's needs before his/her own? That's only part of what it means to be a loving parent. Few can pass that… [Read more...]

Is a human any better than an animal? Animals eat, drink, and procreate. Many do productive tasks on farms and ranches. They also are a source of recreational enjoyment to their owners. So how is a human superior? Look at the… [Read more...]

Many people mistakenly think that if a person loves himself, then he’s a narcissist… Loving Yourself is not Narcissism The world is utterly confused between narcissism, a definitely undesirable trait, and loving yourself. When you love and appreciate yourself, you can love and… [Read more...]