Torah

There was once a public debate between a rabbi and an astrophysicist regarding the nature of our universe. The astrophysicist, representing the atheist perspective, confidently approached the podium and began addressing the audience: “I don’t know much about Judaism, but I believe I can sum it up in a few words: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” With that, he went on to detail how physicists could now adequately explain the nature of our universe, without the need for religion.

After years of research and preparation, James had finally secured a slot to speak at the prestigious international physics conference. He would be presenting his studies in the field of quantum mechanics and was looking forward to the largest scale event of his life. He had never before presented at an official conference, let alone one of such prestige. It had taken every ounce of courage within him to even submit his work to such an event, and he knew that a successful lecture could change the trajectory of his career.

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman presents Ishay Ribo with the University’s inaugural Or l’Yisrael award.

Urges community to assist YU with increased security, additional scholarships and support for our students at this time.

New York, NY December 4, 2023—Rising to this critical moment in the history of the Jewish people, Yeshiva University demonstrated its unwavering leadership in a moving evening of music and unity at its 99^th Annual Hannukah Dinner, which featured YU students and faculty who are IDF veterans as well as the music of Israeli superstar Ishay Ribo.

The essence of life is growth and progress, as we strive to fulfill our true purpose. And as we explained in our previous article, the only way we can genuinely change, transform, and evolve is if we have the capacity to assert our inner will and to create a new reality within ourselves. This requires a complete re-creation of self within our consciousness – a remolding of our inner world.

In an ideal society, everyone is devoted toward achieving his or her own unique greatness while simultaneously devoting that individual greatness toward the larger collective greatness of the nation. A leader’s role is to enable each individual to embark on his or her own journey of self-discovery and achievement, while also helping them devote their lives to a greater whole – to that which transcends themselves, to Hashem, the Jewish People, and the world as a whole.

There’s a story of two elderly men who had been childhood friends but had not seen each other in many years. One day, they ran into each other on the street, and were delighted to recognize one another. One of them lived in the area, so he invited the other into his home. They happily caught each other up on their lives, getting lost in their stories and jokes as the day went on. The guest finally noticed that it had become dark outside, so he asked his friend if he had the time.