1+ hour, 25+ min ago (1608+ words) Raised in a devout Christian family that later became Amish, Nechama Leapley felt an unexplained pull to Judaism all her life'until she finally chased it home. Nechama grew up in a family that stood out wherever they lived. Her father's naval career meant being constantly on the move and, as the oldest of seven, Nechama was used to people staring. "Three kids is considered a large family in America," she says. "Once we had five, people would look at us like, "What's going on here?" Her parents were devout Christians, strictly vegan, and wary of technology. Nechama was an outdoor girl, happier in the forest watching birds than anywhere else. "Even as a kid, if I had a choice between being on a computer or being outside with a book, I'd never choose the computer." Despite having no connection to…...

2+ day, 23+ hour ago (108+ words) The post An Unexpected Guest appeared first on Aish.com. - Ariella's Inspiring Parsha Video In Times of Uncertainty, Pray - Rabbi Avraham Twerski's Insights on the Torah When Years Seem like a Few Days - Crash Course on Torah The Patriarchs and Matriarchs (Part 2) - Growth Through Torah Lifting Your Heart and Your Feet - Jewish Leadership in the Torah The Power of the Kotel - Kindness Hacks Rachel's Ultimate Sacrifice and Hidden Love - Language of Tomorrow The Importance of Having a Vision - Lively Parsha Jacob Goes to Yeshiva and Starts a Large Family - The New Old Path I Probably Should Have - Self-Transformation Through Torah Why Are We Called Jews?...

4+ day, 1+ hour ago (650+ words) If Esau was really so wicked, why did Isaac favor him over Jacob, wanting to give him the blessings? The only reason the Torah gives for Isaac's preference is because Esau provided him with the meat from his hunts (Genesis 25:28). Is tasty meat alone reason to decide who is the more blessed brother? The post Why Isaac Favored Esau appeared first on Aish.com. Why Isaac Favored Esau If Esau was really so wicked, why did Isaac favor him over Jacob, wanting to give him the blessings? The only reason the Torah gives for Isaac's preference is because Esau provided him with the meat from his hunts (Genesis 25:28). Is tasty meat alone reason to decide who is the more blessed brother? The Aish Rabbi Replies Thank you for raising your important issue. This is a big topic which I deal…...

4+ day, 1+ hour ago (315+ words) Your children are impacted by their surroundings. Choose wisely. They hadn't. The decision was about business, not culture. Yet once we unpacked what college life in America actually looks like, especially at secular liberal arts colleges, it became clear that the world they were considering was far different from the one they knew. In Australia, university is academic, largely commuter-based, and campus culture is minimal. In the United States, college is a full ecosystem that does more than educate. It shapes and often indoctrinates. Professors once taught students how to think. Now many teach them what to think. Professors once taught students how to think. Now many teach them what to think. Today's campuses do not simply lean left. They often operate as ideological monocultures. Ideas once debated are now declared. Traditions, religious values, and objective morality are treated not…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago (1064+ words) America First" means America true to its founding values'God-given rights, human dignity, and religious freedom'while standing firmly with Israel. Rabbi Efrem Goldberg delivered the following at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) Summit, November 21, 2025, as an early-Friday-morning invocation. It was the first time they invited a rabbi to speak. Ladies and gentlemen, honored leaders and dear friends, We gather today to thank God for the gift of this great nation and to offer our prayers for America: for safety, unity, and for moral clarity and courage. I stand before you this morning as an Orthodox rabbi, as an unapologetic Jew, and as a grateful and proud American. If we speak of "America First," we must also speak of how America first came to be. This country was born from an extraordinary faith, deeply informed by the language and ideas of…...

5+ day, 19+ hour ago (13+ words) The post Hanukkah Quiz: Test Your Jewish Knowledge appeared first on Aish.com....

6+ day, 22+ min ago (945+ words) The Torah records several conversations between God and Abraham, but we never find God communicating with Sarah. Was she inferior to Abraham? The post Was Sarah a Prophetess? appeared first on Aish.com. Was Sarah a Prophetess? The Torah records several conversations between God and Abraham, but we never find God communicating with Sarah. Was she inferior to Abraham? The Aish Rabbi Replies In fact, the Sages teach us that Sarah was a great prophetess in her own right. The Talmud (Megillah 14a) identifies Sarah as Yiskah " the daughter of Haran mentioned in Genesis 11:29. The Talmud explains one reason for her name, which literally means "he will look," was because she gazed with the "holy spirit" (ruach ha'kodesh) " i.e., she experienced prophecy. (The other reason the Talmud offers is because everyone gazed at her spectacular beauty.) The Midrash further notes that Sarah…...

6+ day, 1+ hour ago (581+ words) My first steps in Israel stirred tears, strength, and hope. Returning to America, I'm determined not to let my Jewish soul go quiet again. It's hard to describe the feeling of coming home to Israel for the first time. The feeling of exhaling after holding my breath and taking in the air of our homeland, with all of its'strength and resilience and hope. The feeling of pride that can hardly be contained, the voice inside my head screaming, "I am a Jew! I am home!" The feeling of safety among my people, knowing that each of them would give their life to protect mine and all of the Jewish people and our beautiful land. The feeling of connection to my strong and resilient sisters in Israel, my long lost family, weeping together and releasing a bit of the pain of…...

6+ day, 17+ hour ago (70+ words) The post The Long Ride appeared first on Aish.com. - Ancient Wisdom & Modern Psychology Intellect and Emotion: In Memory of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks - Brainstorming with Baars Only The Good Die Young - The Color of Heaven The Speed of Time - Language of Tomorrow What Is the Real Meaning of Integrity? - A Life Lesson Giving Until the Job Is Done - Lively Parsha Abraham Buries Sarah, and Arranges a Wife for Isaac...

6+ day, 22+ hour ago (603+ words) Innovation is a hallmark of the human spirit. Innovators, the pioneers of new ideas, challenge the status quo and aim to improve upon it. Each generation distinguishes itself through its introduction of new and improved innovations. How many of us still use typewriters or record players? What once were amazing innovations fall out of fashion, eventually becoming obsolete. Such are the consequences of innovation. Yet even in today's technological world, some things possess timeless staying power. Take, for example, the ladder'the subject of Jacob's dream in this week's Torah portion. Metaphorically, the Torah expands the simple function of the ladder to include imagery that bridges the gap between Heaven and Earth. Imagery assists the mind in perceiving that which the eye cannot see. It is a vehicle for conceptualizing the space in which the physical and spiritual realms interface. Through…...