PurJEW

05/05/2026

R Lord Sacks, obm: That episode taught me the power of chessed, acts of kindness when extended across the borders of faith. It also showed the practical difference collective responsibility makes to the scope of the Jewish deed. World Jewry is small, but the invisible strands of mutual responsibility mean that even the smallest Jewish community can turn to the Jewish people worldwide for help, and they can achieve things that would be exceptional for a nation many times its size. When the Jewish people join hands in collective responsibility, they become a formidable force for good.

In the final parsha of the book of Leviticus, in the midst of one of the most searing curses ever to have been uttered to a nation by way of warning, the Sages found a fleck of pure gold.

03/27/2026

R Lord Sacks obm: What all four stories tell us is that there comes a time for each of us when we must make an ultimate decision as to who we are. It is a moment of existential truth. Lot is a Hebrew, not a citizen of S***m. Eliezer is Abraham’s servant, not his heir. Joseph is Jacob’s son, not an Egyptian of loose morals. Moses is a Prophet, not a Priest. To say ‘Yes’ to who we are, we have to have the courage to say ‘No’ to who we are not. Pain and struggle is always involved in this type of conflict. That is the meaning of the shalshelet. But we emerge less conflicted than we were before.

Good leaders know their own limits. They do not try to do it all themselves. They build teams. They create space for people who are strong where they are weak. They understand the importance of checks and balances and the separation of powers. They surround themselves with people who are different f...

03/23/2026

When they destroy, we seek to build: hours after antiSemites set 4 Hatzallah ambulances on fire, we're already raising funds to replace them

Our community has been shaken by a devastating fire that destroyed vital Hatzola resources. This… Hope A needs your support for Rebuild Hatzola- save lives

03/12/2026

Important new shiur from Rabbi Schneider: when Klal Yisrael is in crisis, what are we doing? Are we standing around a concert with our hands in our pockets? Are we witnesses to suffering and we are remaining silent?

Shapell's / Yeshivat Darche Noam and Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya (MRC) are premier institutions in Jerusalem dedicated to helping college students and young professionals grow in their Jewish life and le

02/26/2026

The Four Mitzvos of Purim

Mikra Megillah Reading the Megillah

Every Jewish adult must hear the Megillah twice: once on Purim night and once during the day (Shulchan Aruch, OC 687:1). Women share this obligation equally (Mishnah Brurah 689:1). You must hear every word from a kosher scroll; if you miss even one word, you have not fulfilled the mitzvah (SA OC 690:3). If you lose your place, follow along quietly in a chumash and rejoin the reader as soon as possible. Arrive on time and silence your phone.

Additionally, on the Shabbos before Purim (Shabbos Zachor) (i.e. this Shabbos), there is an obligation which many poskim consider to be min ha-Torah to hear Parshas Zachor read from a sefer Torah (SA OC 685:7; MB 685:16). Make every effort to attend shul for this special kriah, as it may be the only Torah reading all year that carries a biblical-level obligation.

Matanos La’Evyonim Gifts to the Poor

Each person must give to at least two poor individuals on Purim day (SA OC 694:1). The Rambam (Hilchos Megillah 2:15–16) calls this the most important of the four mitzvos, because nothing captures the joy of Purim like lifting up those in need. Any amount technically suffices (MB 694:2), but giving generously is strongly encouraged. Many fulfill this through their shul’s Purim fund or reputable organizations, which is valid since a shaliach may act on your behalf. Give early so funds reach recipients while it is still Purim.

Mishloach Manos Sending Food Portions

Every person must send at least two distinct ready-to-eat food ior drink tems to at least one fellow Jew on Purim day (SA OC 695:4). The purpose is to foster friendship and ensure everyone has food for the seudah (MB 695:20). The two items should ideally be different typesm for example, a baked good and a drink. Using a messenger is preferred, since mishloach implies a go-between, though hand-delivery also works. The Rambam’s guidance is instructive: better to be generous with matanos la’evyonim and modest with mishloach manos than the reverse.

Seudas Purim The Festive Meal

One is obligated to make a festive meal on Purim day (SA OC 695:1). The Rema records the custom of davening Minchah first and beginning the seudah in the afternoon. The meal should include bread (with netilas yadayim and ha-motzi), meat, and wine (Rema OC 695:2; Kitzur SA 142:1). Regarding wine, the Shulchan Aruch cites the Gemara’s famous ad d’lo yada, but the Rema tempers this: drink a bit more than usual and then sleep. The Mishnah Brurah endorses this moderate approach. Recite Al Ha-Nissim in Birkas Ha-Mazon; if the meal extends past nightfall, you still include it as long as you began before sunset (MB 695:16).

02/24/2026

Thus there is a place for aesthetics and the visual in the life of the spirit. In modern times, Rav Kook in particular looked forward to a renewal of Jewish art in the reborn land of Israel. He himself, as I have written elsewhere, loved Rembrandt's paintings, and said that they represented the light of the first day of creation. He was also supportive, if guardedly so, of the Bezalel Academy of Art, one of the first signs of this renewal.

Hiddur mitzvah - bringing beauty to the fulfilment of a command - goes all the way back to the Mishkan. The great difference between ancient Israel and ancient Greece is that the Greeks believed in the holiness of beauty whereas Judaism spoke of hadrat kodesh, the beauty of holiness.

There is a place for aesthetics and the visual in the life of the spirit.

02/13/2026

Active empathy is life-changing, not only for you but for the people with whom you interact. Instead of responding with anger to someone else's anger, try to understand where the anger might be coming from. In general, if you seek to change anyone's behavior, you have to enter into their mindset, see the world through their eyes and try to feel what they are feeling, and then say the word or do the deed that speaks to their emotions, not yours. It's not easy. Very few people do this. Those who do, change the world.

You have been oppressed; therefore come to the rescue of the oppressed, whoever they are.

02/03/2026

Why then does Judaism distinguish between the universality of God and the particularity of our relationship with Him? Answer: because this helps us solve the single greatest problem humanity has faced since earliest times. How can I recognise the dignity and integrity of the 'other'? History and biology have written into the human mind a capacity for altruism toward the people like us, and aggression toward the people not like us. We are good, they are bad. We are innocent, they are guilty. We have truth, they have lies. We have God on our side, they do not. Many crimes of nation against nation are due to this propensity.

The God of Israel is the God of all humankind, even though the religion of Israel is not the religion of all humankind.

01/30/2026

Fantastic d'var Torah on Shabbos Shira! Shabbos Shirah and the Quieter Music That Follows
https://scpride.emlmkt.com/show/3600148/boaHdhtmtd09sv9MRWOo5iidseob5DTAvhfvJmWy/149474788a13e4bd68070a86f734c682/

01/23/2026

In a passage that set the stage for the rabbinic conceptualization of the “Four Sons” from the Hagaddah, Moshe prepares the Children of Israel for the questions their children will ask in the future regarding these commandments: “And when your children say to you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’” (Shemot 12:26); “On that day tell your son…” (Shemot 13:8); “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’” (Shemot 13:14). Moshe’s broad message is critical and explains the “why” of education. Education is an essential pillar of Jewish life. Teaching our children is foundational to freedom. Again, in Rabbi Sacks’ profound words, Moshe “realized that a people achieves immortality not by building temples or mausoleums, but by engraving their values on the hearts of their children, and they on theirs, and so on until the end of time.”

Learning by teaching, or what is sometimes termed “The Protégé Effect” is an effective strategy to enhance learning. When learners take on the role of teacher, experience and research shows that the learner becomes more motivated and understands the material better. In a foundational paper on ...