By Rabbi YY Jacobson, TheYeshiva.net: The Torah portion of Tazria, in the book of Leviticus, discusses the laws of tzaraat, an unusual illness, identified by a white patch appearing on the skin of a person, that was symptomatic of a profound emotional and spiritual blemish within this individual • Full Article

From the desk of Rabbi Simon Jacobson, director of the Meaningful Life Center: Is the universe indeterministic or deterministic? Random or designed? Are our lives predestined or not? At first glance, one would assume that the answer to these questions is dependent on belief in G-d • Full Article

Why does the Torah choose this tragic and devastating episode to capture the zenith of Moses’ life and as the theme with which to conclude the entire Torah, all five books of Moses?! We need to examine this entire episode from a deeper vantage point • Full Article 

By Rabbi YY Jacobson, TheYeshiva.net: One of the most employed materials in the building of the Tabernacle—discussed in this week’s portion, Terumah—was cedarwood (“atzei shitim.”) Much of the structure and many of the vessels of the Tabernacle were fashioned from cedar • Full Article

By Rabbi YY Jacobson, TheYeshiva.net • This week’s Torah portion (Mishpatim) deals with the laws of damages caused by one’s animals.  Say, for example, your domesticated bull suddenly and uncharacteristically gores and kills another bull. Perhaps your domesticated usually well-behaved dog goes berserk and suddenly attacks and bites another dog, or an innocent stranger • Full Article

Rabbi YY Jacobson gives a Crash Course on Jewish History and discusses the three truths that Inspired Yisro to Join the Yidden • Watch

By Rabbi YY Jacobson, TheYeshiva.net • One of the intriguing things about the Ten Commandments, given to the Jewish people is that they were engraved on two separate tablets. Was G-d short of granite that He needed to use two tablets? Why could He not carve the commandments onto a single stone? • Full Article

By Rabbi YY Jacobson: Before heading into battle, Master Sgt. Elkana Vizel, 35, penned a letter for his loved ones. At his funeral this week, his widow read the letter. The father of four young children, Rabbi Elkana Vizel was among 21 reservists killed last Monday night in Northern Gaza • Full Article

The Tragic Mistakes Made by Israeli Leaders Leading to the October 7th Massacre This talk by Rabbi YY Jacobson is an excerpt of a Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen, which took place on Motzei Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach, 19 Kislev, 5784, December 2, 2023 • Watch