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Ben-Tzion Spitz

Jun 4, 2026, 11:29 PM

Jewish Anger Management (Shelach)

“Whoever is out of patience is out of possession of their soul.” -Francis Bacon In what seems like an almost incredible statement, Moses tells God to calm down. In the notorious story of the spies, the Children of Israel have upset...

Jun 4, 2026, 8:05 PM

How a Zionist Dream Was Lost

The dream of centuries crumbled in an evening: The Jews are poised to enter the Promised Land. This is the moment that generations have waited for. Centuries of suffering in Egypt were always viewed through the prism of promise:...

Charles E. Savenor

Jun 4, 2026, 7:31 AM

A Story Larger Than Ourselves

Among my family's treasured possessions is a wedding photograph from the early twentieth century. What makes the image so compelling is not simply the faces of my ancestors, but the story it tells about a family in transition. The...

Jun 4, 2026, 4:35 AM

”Active Blessings, Passive Complaints” Parashat Korach 5786

Think about the last time something went spectacularly right for you. You made a good guess in Wordle or you took the route Waze didn’t recommend and by doing so, avoided a traffic jam. What do you do? You...

Sharona Margolin Halickman

Jun 3, 2026, 9:07 PM

Why were the scouts permitted to take the grapes?

In Parshat Shlach, we read about the 40 days that the scouts checked out the Land of Israel. We don’t know about all of the places that they went to but we do know the following (Bamidbar 13:21-24): They went...

Jun 2, 2026, 3:16 PM

From Tourists to Inhabitants: The Negev’s New-Old Wine Story

Last month something quietly remarkable happened: the Negev was officially recognized as a protected Geographical Indication — effectively an appellation — for wine. It is the kind of development that passes unnoticed amid war, politics, grief and the endless stream...

May 28, 2026, 2:15 PM

A Crisis of Leadership

It is a moment unparalleled in the whole Torah. Moshe, until now the Jewish People’s greatest advocate, reaches his breaking point. He complains that he was given the burden of leading the Jewish People; he says his death would...

May 28, 2026, 1:46 PM

‘Rockets’ Red Glare’ Parashat Beha’alotecha 5786

The Portion of Beha’alotecha begins with a directive on how Aaron should light the candelabrum (menorah) in the Tabernacle (Mishkan) : “This was the structure of the menorah: Hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it...

Ben-Tzion Spitz

May 27, 2026, 11:58 AM

Infinite Light-givers (Behaalotcha)

“We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit.” -Robert H. Shaffer It is perhaps one of the least noted but most dramatic scenes in the life of Moses. The people of...

Sharona Margolin Halickman

May 25, 2026, 7:40 PM

What is considered to be far from Jerusalem?

In Parshat Behaalotcha (Bamidbar 9:9-13), we read about those who are granted the opportunity to observe Pesach Sheni: God spoke to Moshe saying: “Speak to B’nai Yisrael, saying: Any person, if he will be impure from a human corpse or...

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