By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
When there is bad news in the world, when there is pestilence, terrorism or a war, people ponder why these things are befalling them. They look for others to blame. They blame the liberals, the leftists, the media, the Arabs, the internet, the iPhone, the freiyeh, and the Tziyonim. When all else fails, they chalk it up to chevlei Moshiach.
Whatever the problem is, they can generally point to one or more of the above culprits and that usually works for them. They are satisfied that they know why it happened and can move on without much introspection.

Opinion By Zerachya Licht 
The purpose of this essay isn’t to convince anyone to vote for Biden, nor is it to convince anyone not to vote for Trump – I consider both options legitimate. Its goal is to lay out the case that both options make sense for a Frum Jew, and to dispel the notion that, as a Frum Jew, one must vote for Trump (and that supporting Biden is nothing short of treason).

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
Parshas Lech Lecha opens with one of the ten nisyonos Avrohom Avinu confronted. Nisyonos are commonly translated as tests or challenges. Avrohom was confronted by ten of them and earned the title of Avinu by passing each test and overcoming the challenges.
A common misconception when studying these parshiyos is that Avrohom Avinu faced ten difficult situations, which he successfully endured. He was therefore blessed with better times.
Upon further scrutiny, however, one finds that this is not what a nisayon is about and it’s not what life is about.

By Yehudah Meth
I once criticized a Jewish friend of mine for verbally attacking other Jews with the offhand comment that he was an anti-Semite. “If so, I come by it honestly,” replied this educated, observant man. And his reply gave me pause—a pause I’ve returned to again and again. Honest anti-Semitism—what does that mean?

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
The national election is upon us and the future of this great republic will be decided next week. Ever since Barack Obama and Joe Biden won the White House almost twelve years ago, there has been a constant media drumbeat that has only become stronger since Donald Trump announced his candidacy.
It proclaims that Republicans and conservatives are narrow-minded, myopic, xenophobic, bigoted and racist. Obama presented a Democrat coalition that followers believed would endure for an entire generation. Even Republican voters, who rely on the mainstream media, believed the narrative and feared that their candidates would never win another election.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
We learn this week about the Mabul that destroyed the entire world, except for Noach, his family and representative animals, who were all saved in the teivah.
Rashi (Bereishis 6:13) enlightens us as to what caused the flood and the destruction. He cites the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 26:5), which states that wherever there is overwhelming immorality and avoda zorah, devastation comes to the world, killing the good along with the bad.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
A secular man walked into a small makolet grocery store somewhere in Israel and searched for the owner to help him fetch the bread, milk, tomatoes and leben he desired for breakfast. The owner was nowhere to be found. He asked a bearded religious man who was in the shop if he knew the whereabouts of the owner. The man responded that the store has no owner.
“How can that be?” the other man asked.
The religious man told him that a ship exploded off the coast of Chaifa and some of the pieces landed on this spot. They joined together and formed a store. That is how the store came to be and how everything got there.
The other fellow was incredulous.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
The Ramchal (Derech Hashem, Avodas Hazeman, Sukkah) discusses the ananei hakavod that protected the Jewish people in the midbar. He says that they consisted of six clouds that surrounded the Jewish people on all sides and a seventh cloud that paved the way for them, straightening out the ground they were to traverse upon and killing all matters of pestilence on the way.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
After a month of preparation, we are now at Rosh Hashanah, when Hashem judges all people. We have been given Elul to rectify that which we have done wrong so that we may be judged favorably.
At the time of creation, Hashem realized that the world would not be able to exist if it were run strictly according to din, which would exact immediate punishment when people sin. He therefore added rachamim, mercy, to din, and created the idea of teshuvah, granting a person the ability to erase sin from his ledger and absolve himself from punishment.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
Fear is a uniquely Jewish attribute.
We used to be referred to as “Ultra-Orthodox,” but now we are called “Chareidim,” loosely translated as “those who fear.” What is at the root of that designation? Is it complimentary or is the adjective meant to be derogatory?
In fact, the posuk praises people who fear. Shlomo Hamelech, the wisest of all men, states, “Ashrei odom mefacheid tomid” (Mishlei 28:24). The yorei Shomayim, the choreid ledvar Hashem, is always fearful, making sure that he lives the proper life.