God

Parashat Shoftim: Wholehearted – and well

“Wholeheartedness is greater than wisdom, but great wisdom is required of a Jew before he reaches the level of ‘You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.’” - Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz.

SORCERERS, MAGICIANS, diviners: The Torah rejects them all.
The US Capitol building is pictured at 5:04 pm, five years after the building was overrun by pro-Trump supporters, in Washington, DC, US, January 6, 2026

The question raised inside the White House that could define America's future - opinion

‘MESIRUT NEFESH’: Willingness to give up comfort, time, money, and personal interests for a greater value.

Before the High Holidays, the Jewish people must look inward - opinion

Opposition members of Israel's Knesset leave during a preliminary vote to establish a political commission of inquiry, December 24, 2025; Illustrative.

A Zionist coalition? Israel’s founders envisioned something broader - opinion


Iran war shows pursuit of peace means fighting forces that seek destruction - opinion

I don’t want to be running to my bomb shelter multiple times a day, but friends, if we aren’t ready to pay a tough price for freedom, we have to be ready for barbarism.

 People take shelter in an underground parking lot in Tel Aviv, during ongoing missile attacks from Iran, June 24, 2025.

Who saved Israel from Iran? God - opinion

Behind every Iron Dome interception, every Stealth bomber sortie, every classified operation deep in enemy territory – there is a guiding hand.

 An illustrative image of hands clasped in a show of faith.

Spiritual frameworks: Faith and family in Israel at war - opinion

Raising spiritually bilingual children in Israel: the instinctive awareness born of immersion and the thoughtful commitment shaped by reflection. 

 THE WRITER’S youngest child touches the Western Wall on a visit soon after the family made aliyah.

Finding God in the foxhole? Netanyahu reveals spiritual side in midst of Iran war - analysis

Some critics say Netanyahu's religiousness is tactical. However, if Netanyahu wanted to use faith for political gain, he has had many opportunities to do so, but he never did.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement at the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel, June 20, 2025

US-Israel ties: Having faith in God, as well as in our friends - opinion

Throughout history, the Jews have faced moments of uncertainty in relationships with world powers. We have endured through diplomatic acumen and an unshakable connection to something far greater.

 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman stand during a visit to At-Turaif World Heritage Site, in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025

Prayers of silence: Why Passover's seventh day is so unique in its quietness

Calling out in prayer and beseeching God to answer our supplications involves an element of entitlement, perhaps even temerity. In contrast, silence reflects humility.

 An illustrative image of online messenger icons.

Passover 2025: Crossing your own Red Sea

We all face Red Seas in one form or another. But the good news is that just as God parted the waters for our forefathers when they left Egypt, He can part them for us as well.

 PHARAOH’S ARMY engulfed by the Red Sea, by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1900. ‘The wind dropped, the waters flooded back, and the entire Egyptian force was drowned.’

Passover 2025: When God hides, we still believe

Faith isn’t about finding all the answers – it’s about having shoulders wide enough, and spirits deep enough, to carry the weight of the questions. 

 An illustrative image of a maze with a large question mark inside.

This week in Jewish history: Buchenwald liberated, Paschal lambs sacrificed

A highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stripes.

Jacob Sheep

Parashat Pekudei: Don’t walk away

We know who we are. They cannot fathom it. Our tireless efforts to explain may fall on deaf ears – but we hear, and we know.

 MOSES PROVIDED a meticulous accounting of every donation collected for the Mishkan.