The Laziness of the Spies

Bamidbar Rabbah, 16:4: “Send for yourself men” – ‘This is what the verse said: ‘Like what vinegar does to a person’s teeth and like smoke getting into a person’s eyes, this is what a lazy messenger does to the person who sent him1.” The Midrash on the Torah Portion of Shelach cites a verse in…

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Before the Hatred: When Iran and Israel Were Allies

Before the Hatred: When Iran and Israel Were Allies

Picture this: El Al flights landing in Tehran. Israeli engineers building Iranian infrastructure. Iranian oil fueling Israeli cities. Israeli intelligence training Iranian security forces. This isn’t some utopian fantasy—it’s history. And it wasn’t that long ago. In the present moment, as we are shaken by the news of a new war, it may seem as…

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Tzitzit: Tying Us to Our Purpose

Tzitzit: Tying Us to Our Purpose

“Why do you wear those strings?” asked Cody Webb, a professional dirt biker, pointing to my tzitzit fringes. I had approached Cody after spotting him by the Western Wall wearing a Red Bull hat – the distinct mark of a competitive extreme athlete – out of place amidst a sea of religious Jews deep in…

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