Jerusalem, Israel

Many of us picture piety as passively throwing up our hands and allowing G-d to do the fighting on our behalf. The truth is that we are experiencing a deficiency of the chutzpah required to proudly advocate authentic Jewish values to the world (Kovetz Ma’amarim, vol. 1, p. 262).

There’s a classic definition, often attributed to Leo Rosten: chutzpah is the man who kills his parents and then pleads for mercy because he’s an orphan. Extreme, yes – but the structure holds.

As the world seems to fill more each day with truly heinous chutzpah (a “Globalize the Intifada” march right down the road from where Jews were just massacred!), we can take heart from the Gemara’s teaching in Sota 49b: In the lead-up to Moshiach, chutzpah will multiply.

Chutzpah, by definition, is boldness bordering on nerve. So really, expecting this article now is not ironic; it’s a live demonstration. It’s the literary equivalent of asking someone to deliver a shiur while waiting on a Disney line.

Diminishing your former spouse’s character in your children’s eyes will only diminish you in your children’s eyes. As hard as that reality may be, it’s the truth.

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The Maggid explained of his technique for creating lessons, First I decide what point I want to make, then I craft the story around it.

Spend money to enjoy life: After covering essentials and saving responsibly, use your resources to enhance your life.

I have deep gratitude for my professional teachers. But the lessons that shaped me most are the ones I learned from my students, especially those who challenged me the most.

But there are informal lessons we can glean from different life experiences. Some lessons are small but still important, like make your kids’ lunches the night before so your morning self doesn’t hate your evening self.

We must learn a lesson from King David and focus on overcoming our enemies once and for all.

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When we talk about doing something “for the klal,” we are speaking about Klal Yisrael, the Jewish people as a collective, not an abstract category but the very human, physical people that make up our religious nation.

Often, people feel that this kind of volunteerism exempts them from the need to tend to their personal development, their spiritual lives and their interior world.

It is well known that, by working together, people can accomplish far more than if they work apart. This is also true in the spiritual world and is presumably part of the reason a minyan is required for public Torah reading, priestly blessings, repeating the amidah, etc.

When ego or a sense of being worthier or more expert and thus the belief that my way is the only way infiltrates members of the community, it can lead to friction, discord, antipathy, antagonism, hostility and baseless hatred.

Klal means a general rule or principle, set against prat, the specific case... A klal here isn’t just any rule. It is meant to organize and govern many cases at once, acting as an overall framework rather than a narrow instruction.

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In sleep-away camp, I began to think of the mistakes I had made and the sins I felt I had accumulated over the years. The weight of that realization sat heavily on my heart. I confided in my sister, unsure of what to do with these feelings. She suggested that I speak to my father.

Being a father has also given me a greater understanding of my relationship with my Father in heaven.

Some communities have renamed their motzei Shabbat learning programs from Avos U’Banim to Dor L’Dor, acknowledging that not every boy has a father or has a father who can accompany him to a learning program.

In today's world, where many suffer from emotional wounds rooted in broken trust, abandonment, or confusion around fatherhood, the Torah reintroduces us to the ultimate, unchanging Father – One who sees, hears, understands, and never withdraws His love.

He was a Torah Scholar who spent his day, every day, learning Gemara until 3 p.m. in his home study. Only after that did he set out for his office at The Jewish Press.

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Time fills quickly; we find ourselves running through days packed tightly with obligations and expectations.

Growth requires three things: Vision. Planning. Running. Without the third, we’re left in that frustrating dream state of striving, struggling, and going nowhere.

I’ve come a long way since then, and I’m proud to say that I’m the second youngest person ever to complete 25 New York City Marathons, which is completely insanely cool.

The Jewish people weren’t particularly mindful when they left Mitzrayim. They rushed so quickly that their bread had no time to rise. It was a mad dash – they ran! Today, we too have to run when we make our matzahs, like they did. You’ve got 18 minutes: Go!

We know that our yetzer hara (evil inclination) is constantly trying to bring us down, making us feel sluggish, lazy, or insecure. Our daily task is to identify where our thoughts and feelings are coming from.

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