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Hashem Is The Ultimate Shadchan Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

Last week I shared a letter from a mother who was grappling with the challenge of finding the proper shidduch for her daughter. This was the first shidduch in her family and she sought guidance as to how she might best go about it. The following is my response.The difficulty of finding the right shidduch is all too acute in our Jewish world. I have traveled in every continent, and parents and young people all over share this concern.Time and again I have said and written that when in a quandary...

Realizing Your Potential As A Woman Tuesday, June 4th, 2013

Last week I focused on the group Women of the Wall and its choice of the Kotel as a battleground, donning tallis and tefillin and conducting services in the manner of men. I asked why, if these women are sincerely motivated, they do not hold their services in any of the thousand and one places where they would be welcomed with open arms. I wondered whether their goal is not so much wearing tallis and tefillin as it is taking a jab at the Torah community.I can almost hear some readers saying, “...

An Internal Tragedy Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

There is a story about a man full of worry who goes to his Rebbe to seek his advice. “Rebbe,” he cries, “I have parnassah problems. Yankel opened the same store as mine just down the block and his business is thriving while mine is going down.” The Rebbe gazes at him and says, “I think the problem is that you have too many businesses and you can’t focus on the one you are running.” “Rebbe,” the man protests, “how can you say that to me? I don’t have any business except my...

One Woman`s Journey (Part II) Monday, May 27th, 2013

Last week I shared a letter from a newly observant Jewish woman. She and her husband reside in a small suburban community outside of Los Angeles. Last year they came to consult with me on a personal religious issue. While they were both ba`alei teshuvah, there was one fine difference between them. He had become a ba`al teshuvah earlier than she and was therefore somewhat more settled in an observant lifestyle. The husband asked his wife to take the next step and cover her hair, as is...

One Woman`s Journey Monday, May 13th, 2013

Over the years I`ve received letters from all over the world in which people share feelings and thoughts they`ve experienced upon becoming became Torah observant. Usually these letters arrive not long after the writers had heard one of my speeches. No matter where a particular speech took place, and no matter whether I spoke the language or had to use a translator, the magic always works. In reality, it`s not magic at all but a little voice in the soul - the “Pintele Yid,” that spark of G-d`s...

Independence And Dependence Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Last week I wrote about the many disappointments in life. So often we dream of something, wish for something, pray for something - only to discover that when it happens, it is not quite the way we envisioned it. I illustrated this concept through a Hungarian story I recalled from my childhood about a little boy who more than anything else wanted a rocking horse, a coveted toy in Hungary. One day his mother became ill and died. He looked out the window and saw a hearse pulled by black horses...

Not The Horse I Wanted Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

There is a Hungarian tale I`ve always found meaningful and yet sad. It is about a little boy who always wanted his own rocking horse. (In Hungry a rocking horse was a toy that belonged to only the privileged few.) “If only I could have a rocking horse,” he would say to himself. One day the little boy’s mother fell ill and soon passed away. “Where is my mommy, where is my mommy?” he sobbed. Then he looked out the window and saw black horses pulling a hearse to take his mommy away. “This...

The Key To A Meaningful Life Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

My saintly father, HaRav HaGoan HaTzaddik Avraham HaLevi Jungreis, zt"l, taught me that before I address an audience I should ask myself, "What will the people take home from my message? What am I giving? Will it enhance their lives? Will it bring the individual closer to Hashem? Will it be a life-altering experience?" To paraphrase these questions and apply them to the Pesach holiday we just celebrated, let us ask ourselves, ìWhat did we take home from the sedarim, from this...

The Most Precious Phrase Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, a"h, were killed in a horrific automobile accident. Their unborn baby survived for a short time but then joined his parents in olam haba. The tragedy shocked us all. Try to imagine for a moment their parents anxiously awaiting that joyous call ñ ìMazel Tov ñ itís a girl!î or ìItís a boy ñ Mazel Tovî! The phone did ring but it was not a ìMazel Tov.î The words they heard were beyond human imagination ñ their son, their daughter gone, and the baby in critical...

`giving Up On Rebellious Children?` (Part Two) Monday, March 25th, 2013

Last week I published excerpts from a letter written by a suffering mother whose rebellious son had not only turned his back on his family but had also rejected his Jewish faith. This womanís husband had given up on the young man but she was determined to keep the door open in the hope he would yet come back. When she read my March 15 column in which I emphasized the power of love as the most potent antidote to the poisonous fights that had come to characterize her home, she...

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