Steven Genack

New York

Featured in: Favicon

jpost.com

timesofisrael.com Favicon

israelnationalnews.com Favicon

jewishpress.com Favicon

jewishnews.co.uk Favicon

inn.co.il

atlantajewishtimes.com Favicon

jewishlink.news Favicon

baltimorejewishlife.com Favicon

ou.org

Articles

A war in unison - Et Lirkod

1 week ago | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

Who is not moved by Shwekey’s song “Et Lirkod?” Two brothers, one heading to his wedding, the other taking off in a jet to defend Israel. Simultaneous acts of majesty and courage are coinciding to change the trajectory of one life and one nation. We’re witnessing the courage today, with the air force continually refueling to carry out strikes against an existential enemy of Israel.
The Torah of threes

4 weeks ago | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

The third Av, Yaakov, wanted to reveal the date of the Redemption, the ketz, but it escaped him. But he gave the secret on how to reach it: asoph, gather. If his children would gather and unify then the end would be ripe. So notes David Sacks, in quoting a commentator's approach. Another one he quotes, the Megalah Amukos, says if you take the first letter of the three words Kohen, Levi and Yisrael, you spell the word kli, vessel.
Passion, stability, and the way of the world

2 months ago | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

Many questions loom from the recent Pesach departure. Shouldn’t matzah—not chametz—be the year-round required food? Let holiness be stretched out to the maximum, not to a small finite eight-day time period.
Did the Jews deserve the splitting of the Sea?

2 months ago | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

The nature of chastisement by Isaiah to the Israelites gives an opening into how to reach a profound belief in G-d. The verse (Isaiah 1:3), says"An ox knows his owner and a donkey his master's crib; Israel does not know, my people does not consider."The verse utilizes the words "know" and "consider." What's the difference between the two? Knowing something comes easy as opposed to considering, to be mitbonen, to deeply ponder.
Matzah's letter of Redemption

2 months ago | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

There's a well-known idea that the word chametz and matzah when writtten in Hebrwe חמץ , מצה, are composed of two identical letters, but differ in the third letter, the "hey" ה of matzah and the "chet" ח of chametz, where the straight line in the middle of the hey doesn't quite reach the top part of the letter, leaving a miniscule space. What is the meaning of this space? We could offer three explanations, with the last pointing to the nature of Redemption, geulah. Why the space?
Framing Purim and the our current Exile

Mar 15, 2025 | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

As “People of the Book,” we find that all historical events are contained within in. Two pivotal experiences, Purim and our current Exile, are highly pertinent now. Purim has an unexpected lesson and our current Exile is pinpointed with exactitude by a great Tanna. Both of these events, as well as all of our Exile experiences, are forecasted in the Torah with five words that appear by Avraham’s Brit with G-d, at the Brit Bein HaBetarim.
Yitro used the "measure for meaure" principle to proclaim G-d's rule. Why?

Feb 14, 2025 | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

In this parsha, Yitro proclaims G-d’s greatness based on the principle of midah k’neged midah, measure for measure. He says (Exodus 18:11), “Now I know that God is greater than all the deities, by turning the very scheme that they plotted against others, against themselves!” It is in G-d’s ability to “cook someone in their own pot” that earns Yitro’s highest level of attribution.
Reaching Ketz - The Jewish Link

Feb 13, 2025 | jewishlink.news | Steven Genack

A great chesed that Hashem did for Bnei Yisrael was to count the shibud Mitzrayim from the day Yitzchak was born. Therefore, it wasn’t until 190 years later that the actual physical labor began, meaning Bnei Yisroel was in Egypt for 210 years. The question is, how can this be done? God is exact in everything. A possible answer is that with the birth of Yitzchak the potential of a father sacrificing his son came into the world. This alone is enough pain to cover 190 years.
Truth to Yaakov

Dec 9, 2024 | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

In these parshayot, we meet the essence of Yaakov, truth=emet, in its truest form. When Yaakov meets Eisav, he informs him that he lived with Lavan and yet held the 613 mitzvot. Rashi adds that Yaakov also told Eisav that he didn't learn from the actions of Lavan. What do these extra words mean? According to the Chofetz Chaim, Yaakov is introducing the idea of self-critique and introspection.
Turkeys, Thanksgiving and Christopher Columbus

Nov 26, 2024 | israelnationalnews.com | Steven Genack

Is there a possible connection between the Hebrew word for Turkey (tarnegol hodu) and Christopher Columbus? From a linguistic and historical point of view, yes, there is. In the Megillah, we know that Achashverosh ruled from Hodu until Kush. Hodu was India. When Christopher Columbus landed in America, he thought he had reached India. Therefore, he named the unusual fowl he saw there for the first time, what we call simply "turkeys", the "Indian Turkey", which in Hebrew is called tarnegol hodu.