Steven Saks

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Nov 8, 2024, 7:49 PM

A Biblical Response to the Election: Lech Lecha 5785

A Biblical Response to the Election Lech Lecha 5785 Supporters of Donald Trump who are grounded in the Torah may be quick to crow that the election results were a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who...

Oct 30, 2024, 8:08 PM

The Torah’s Political Philosophy

It is fitting Parshat Noach will precede the 2024 election, for the portion serves as the Torah’s political primer. God decided to destroy the world via flood because it was filled with chamas, violence (Rashi understands this to mean...

May 15, 2024, 5:11 AM

Creating daylight between the U.S and Israel is counterproductive

An Open Letter to President Biden: A strategy of creating daylight between the U.S and Israel is counterproductive and unnecessary. The moral clarity you expressed in the aftermath of October 7 is both missed and needed. A strategy of creating daylight...

Apr 9, 2024, 5:32 PM

Dear President Biden: Stop the Pivot

April 9, 2024 Dear President Biden, I find talk of conditioning aid to Israel to be deeply troubling. Though the Israeli strike killing aid workers from the World Central Kitchen was a deeply tragic error, the opprobrium leveled at Israel by...

Mar 18, 2024, 6:33 PM

An Open Letter to Senator Schumer

Dear Senator Schumer, Your comments regarding the Israeli government were shocking in light of the fact you have a strong record of supporting Israel. Your remarks, which amounted to a call for regime change are the type of remarks that...

Mar 15, 2024, 5:29 PM

And the Oscar for chutzpah goes to?

Though entertainment is supposed to serve as an escape from the “real world,” it was no surprise that Israel was defamed at the Oscars. Unfortunately, it also shouldn’t be a surprise that the defamation was supplied by a Diaspora...

Jan 11, 2024, 11:21 PM

Do all Jews Have a Share in the World to Come? Va’era 5784

The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1) proclaims that “all of Israel has a share in the world to come.” Clearly, the rabbis were attempting to encourage Jews to remain loyal despite the fact that subjection and exile at the hands of...

Jan 5, 2024, 1:20 AM

History Doesn’t Just Happen (Shemot)

History Doesn’t Happen, People Make it Happen Shemot, 5784 As Jacob sat on his deathbed and was about to reveal to his children what would occur at the “end of days,” (Sotah 57a) God withdrew his spirit from the elderly patriarch,...

Nov 9, 2023, 11:14 PM

May God Avenge their Blood: Chayei Sarah 5784

The first eulogy in the history of our people is the eulogy that Abraham offered on behalf of his wife, Sarah, our matriarch. Though we don’t have a text of the eulogy you can imagine Abraham concluding with the...

Nov 1, 2023, 4:56 AM

A Common Patriarch: Differing World Views

The text of the Torah is often terse leaving much for the imagination to fill in. However, regarding the attempted gang rape of Lot’s two guests the opposite is true. Instead of simply explaining that a mob gathered outside...

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About Me

Rabbi of Sons of Israel, Woodmere NY. Vice President of Morasha Rabbinical Fellowship (affiliated with the Union for Traditional Judaism). Served as president of the Rabbinical Association of Delaware.