• R M Hauer – Thanksgiving was established during an American crisis. Then and now, Judaism teaches us to be grateful. https://www.jta.org/2020/11/25/opinion/thanksgiving-was-established-during-an-american-crisis-then-and-now-judaism-teaches-us-to-be-grateful • I still recommend davening at home – US Supreme Court blocks coronavirus limitations on New York synagogues https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-supreme-court-blocks-coronavirus-limitations-on-new-york-synagogues/ • M Feldstein – The Empty Pages of Our Guest Book https://jewishlink.news//features/40727-the-empty-pages-of-our-guest-book • It is in the nature of the yetzer ...

Esther in America by Stuart Halpern ed. (YU Press)

• J Frager – A Song of Gratitude https://www.jns.org/opinion/a-song-of-gratitude/ • Y Hoffman – Ivanka Trump in the News and Halachah http://www.5tjt.com/ivanka-trump-in-the-news-and-halachah/ • Watch: HaGaon HaRav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi: “Zoom Is Also For The Good!” https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1921928/watch-hagaon-harav-baruch-mordechai-ezrachi-zoom-is-also-for-the-good.html  

by R. Gil Student Jonathan Pollard is now a completely free man, having finished last Friday his five years of parole following 30 years in jail after pleading guilty to spying on the United States. There are two possible responses to release after such a long captivity. One is to become bitter over the time lost, the life that could ...

• S Zuckier – American Orthodoxy’s Twilight of Authority https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/religion-holidays/2020/11/american-orthodoxys-twilight-of-authority/ • The Orthodox case against Cuomo’s COVID-19 rules is getting stronger — because of his own remarks https://forward.com/news/458892/the-orthodox-legal-arguments-against-cuomos-covid-19-restrictions-are/ • J Gross – Hadran massechet Eruvin – Introducing The Laser Eruv! http://amerabbica.blogspot.com/2013/06/hadran-massechet-eruvin-introducing.html • D Bashevkin – Make America an ‘Eruv’ Again https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/make-america-an-eruv-again  

by R. Gil Student I. Being Measured Against Others Over a decade ago, I challenged the eighteenth century Chasidic scholar Reb Zusia of Hanipol‘s famous last words. On his deathbed, he said that he wasn’t worried that the heavenly court would ask why he wasn’t like Moshe, because he could answer that he lacked Moshe’s abilities. But he was worried that ...

by R. Daniel Z. Feldman Commentary and insights into the second portion of Parashas Toldos (Gen. 26:6-12) If you cannot see anything below, click on this link. See here for past weeks: here

• R M Twersky – Ro’eh Es Ha-Nolad (On the importance of foresight during this pandemic) http://www.torahweb.org/torah/docs/rtwe_roeh-es-hanolad.pdf • Orthodox group asks Supreme Court, with its new conservative majority, to block restrictions on synagogues https://www.jta.org/2020/11/18/politics/orthodox-group-asks-supreme-court-with-its-new-conservative-majority-to-block-restrictions-on-synagogues • Prominent Rabbi Criticized For Speaking With Reform Leaders https://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/felafel-on-rye/prominent-rabbi-criticized-for-speaking-with-reform-leaders/2020/11/19/ • Rav Soloveitchik on Toldos (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9DF-QIZ058&t=15s&ab_channel=OhrPublishing • Big shuls (lehavdil) with multiple minyanim – US Megachurches Are Getting Bigger and ...

• Gen Z more likely to say faith is important during pandemic poll https://www.christianpost.com/news/gen-z-more-likely-to-say-faith-is-important-during-pandemic-poll.html • Post-Shabbat Chassidic Gathering Becomes World’s Longest Zoom Event https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/4942310/jewish/Post-Shabbat-Chassidic-Gathering-Becomes-Worlds-Longest-Zoom-Event.htm • N Diament – A Eulogy for Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: Teaching us how to take on the world https://thelehrhaus.com/commentary/a-eulogy-for-rabbi-jonathan-sacks-teaching-us-how-to-take-on-the-world/ • E Brown – When scholars die https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/when-scholars-die/  

• After a long delay, New York State revives debate over secular education requirements in yeshivas https://forward.com/fast-forward/458630/after-a-long-delay-new-york-state-revives-debate-over-secular-education/ • Legal challenge to sex education policy https://www.thejc.com/education/education-news/legal-challenge-to-sex-education-policy-1.508733 • Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm: Want to feel better about our election? Learn these lessons from the Bible https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/rabbi-dr-ari-lamm-want-to-feel-better-about-our-election-learn-these-lessons-from-the-bible • ‘It was the honour of our lives to work for Rabbi Lord Sacks’ https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/it-was-the-honour-of-our-lives-to-work-for-rabbi-lord-sacks/ • How to deal with scathing criticism – J ...