Parshas Shemos
Rabbi Berel Wein The Torah leaves us basically unprepared for its description of the events that are recorded for us in this week’s parsha. When we last left the family of Israel at the conclusion of last week’s parsha of Vayechi, the Jews found themselves comfortable, affluent, protected, and settled well in the land of […]
Of Arrows and Annulments
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Gemara relates two short and cryptic anecdotes. (Nedarim 76b) The first is that Chiya the son of Rav would shoot arrows and examine them. The second anecdote is that Rabba the son of Rav Huna would sit and stand. The Gemara does not offer any more details on these stories. Why […]
WITS Celebrates Inauguration of New State-of the-Art Science Labs
On Motzaei Shabbos, December 17, Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary & College (WITS) inaugurated its new State-of-the-Art Science Facility, “The Ben and Zelda Cohen Charitable Foundation Science Labs”. The inauguration ceremony brought together donors and community supporters for an evening of celebration and hakaras hatov. Rabbi Hauer shared Divrei Torah and bracha, as well as […]
Year in Review
Ani Yehudi!
Rabbi Zvi Teichman Whether it be Jew, Jude, Zhid, Juif, Yahud or Yid, all these terms of ‘endearment’ stem and evolved from that proud appellation, Yehudi. The blessing of Yaakov to Yehuda begins, יהודה אתה — Yehuda – you, יודוך אחיך — your brothers shall acknowledge, ידך — your hand will be at your enemies’ […]
Parshas Vayechi
Rabbi Berel Wein The traditional rabbinic approach as to why this portion of the Torah is the titled “vayechi Yaakov” even though the subject matter of this Torah portion concerns itself with the death of Yaakov is that as long as his descendants – the Jewish people – are alive and functioning, then Yaakov is […]
A Powerful Tefillah
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Gemara in Nedarim expounds the earliest recorded example of hataras nedarim. Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that it was safe for him to return to Egypt “because the men who seek your life have died.” The Gemara explains that these men were none other than Dasan and Aviram. However, the Gemara records […]
Parshas Vayigash
Rabbi Berel Wein The statement of our father Jacob to the Pharaoh of Egypt that “my years of life have been few and most unpleasant” is most perplexing. We all know the well-known anecdote that one of the most disappointing things in life is to ask someone how he or she is and they actually […]
What Makes a Valid Pesach?
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Torah permits a person to annul his vows with the assistance of a chacham or beis din. One method of annulling a vow is by finding a “pesach,” literally an opening. The sage asks the person who uttered the vow, “Did you make your vow while being cognizant of such and […]
Bais Yaakov Teams Achieve Stellar Results!
Both the Bais Yaakov Robotics Teams, under the guidance of Mrs. Ora Attar and Mrs. Sarena Schwartz, and the Debate Team, under the guidance of Mrs. Leeba Steen, achieved stunning results in their respective interschool competitions on Tuesday. At the CIJE VEX Tournament in Long Island, the Robotics Team achieved finishing positions of Second and Third Place out of twenty-seven schools! In Philadelphia, the […]
