Leftovers aren’t repeats, they’re remixes! Yesterday’s chicken becomes wraps, rice turns fried, Shabbat bread morphs into enchilada casserole. Kids whine? Add a twist, share the plate, and teach: “It tastes better when we care.” Say thank you, clean up, and turn “ugh” into “yum!”, because imagination makes every meal a masterpiece.

In the new Jewish year, reset the dance: when she feels safe, she laughs like a child—trust made visible. When he leads with calm integrity, her softness returns. His stability is her exhale; her playfulness is his homecoming. Beneath control and distance lies a sacred truth: protect her freedom, restore polarity, and love breathes again.

In Lech-Lecha, G-d's vague promise to Abraham, leave everything for an unknown land, seems like a terrible deal, yet he goes, trading certainty for self-discovery and infinity. Like marketing's risks, it's not about guarantees but potential greatness.

Abraham, 75 and wealthy, walks away from Haran’s security for God’s vague promise, no ROI, no guarantees. The Torah’s lesson to Jewish entrepreneurs: security is the most expensive purchase. Haran decisions preserve; Lech-Lecha decisions transform. Build something worth blessing. Legacy > liquidity. Significance > safety.

At 6 a.m. in Israel, the hostages return. Yellow ribbons fall, beards are shaved, tears of joy flow. We traded 20 lives for 2,000 terrorists, because every Jewish soul is priceless. Simchat Torah teaches: endings are beginnings. Daniel is buried, Matan honors him, and we rise, carrying the fallen, beating as one lev, heart of a nation.

Avraham’s first test: “Lech Lecha”, leave everything for an unknown land. Not just geography, but a soul journey. “Go to yourself.” True bliss isn’t ignorance, it’s knowing. Gematria: לך לך = 100 brachos daily to instill gratitude. Avraham didn’t ignore reality; he embraced it to live with purpose. We can too.

In life-or-death cases, halacha demands evidence-based medicine. For non-critical issues, natural remedies like amber stones are permissible if free from idolatry or superstition. Emergency spells are allowed to calm the mind, but proven paths are preferred, consult a Rav.

Rav Kook on Cheshvan: “When the soul shines, even foggy skies radiate light”, a reminder for dark times, like hostages returning with unbroken faith. Avraham’s courage? He dressed against trends, standing apart as a revolutionary. Five insights: humanity restarts with Avraham; he and Sarah are eternal influencers; first olim; brit milah’s devotion; from idolater to moral visionary.

After two years of Hamas aggression since October 7, 2023, a deal emerged on October 8, 2025: all Israeli hostages freed for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, with Israel withdrawing post-release. This reflects moral strength, not weakness, driven by Trump’s leverage of Abraham Accords allies to isolate Hamas. Vigilance is key, Hamas’s past demands it. Saving 20 lives? A triumph worth more than any Nobel, earned through unapologetic resolve.

I was done. After a year and a half, the walls crushed in, draining my soul as I clutched my baby, dread pulsing through me. Each escape attempt met my husband’s excuses, postpartum, promises, yet safety eluded me. At the Vort, fear froze me; I packed silently, vowing never to return. Alarm bells screamed Not Safe Here, I dialed my Kallah teacher, desperate for a lifeline through the chaos.

Avraham’s first act upon receiving Hashem’s promise? He built an altar, not for the land or children, but for the appearance of Hashem. The Or HaChaim teaches: gratitude for the gift of connection trumps all else. Like Modeh Ani at dawn and Modim D’Rabanan in prayer, true thanks must be personal. Three simple acts, say thank you, give time, do a favor, turn gratitude into a daily mitzvah, the free gift that transforms lives.

"I hear strange noises outside," she whispered uneasily. Her husband chuckled, "Maybe it’s time to change your hearing aid batteries." "I don’t wear hearing aids!" she said in shock."Well," he teased, "maybe you should get some!" This banter reveals a deeper truth: like Noah’s hesitant wife, our bonds grow from need, not abundance. A wife’s "neediness" fuels connection, the heartbeat of shalom bayit, crafting an extraordinary shared journey.

Parshas Noach, featuring a quotable quote, "Falling is not failure; not getting up is failure," by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein. It includes Gematria insights linking "Teiva" (ark) to "tongue," symbolizing a strong connection between the Teiva and words' power. Thoughts in Chassidus and other sections offer spiritual reflections.

Avinatan Or, a hostage survivor, returned home to Shiloh after two years in Hamas captivity. Thousands of Binyamin residents celebrated with flags, dancing, and a motorcyclist convoy. At the emotional welcome, Avinatan said, “Our strength is in our unity; only through love will we prevail.”

Parashat Noach highlights Noah's righteousness, his 120-year ark build, and the flood that reset the world after 10 sinful generations. The Zohar notes Cham, the raven, and dog sinned in the ark, with Cham's transgression marking him. Noah's sons Shem, Cham, Yafet represent Judaism, Christianity, Islam, shaping nations. The flood separated continents, fossilizing dinosaurs, with the world now 5786 years old.

In "Mirrors and Windows: The Secret of Schach," a father's mirror-window analogy teaches seeing beyond self-projection to deeper spiritual truths. This ties to the Sukkos journey: from Elul's self-awareness through Yom Kippur's transcendence, culminating in the succah—a simple hut symbolizing divine marriage and elevated physical life. Schach represents peering past the surface to reveal spiritual depth, infusing Yamim Noraim gains into everyday existence for holistic oneness

In "Beyond the Headlines," Sivan Rahav Meir views Sukkot as a time of liberation and family joy, linking it to Pesach's appreciation of basics and Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's idea of the sukkah countering complacency. She sees family time as self-growth, cites Kohelet’s wisdom on life's seasons, and highlights the Ushpizin tradition, showing forefathers thriving in transient "sukkah lives," urging action now.

Your phone buzzes with a call from your mom, your wife’s mother-in-law, longing to join you for the holidays. “Charlie, my sweet boy,” she pleads, recalling how she cared for you as a child. Your wife will likely say no, leaving you torn. The Torah teaches to honor your mother yet cling to your wife, suggesting a compromise: perhaps your mom could stay nearby and join for meals, like her famous brisket, with your wife’s input to ensure Shalom Bayit, peace at home.

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach, perfect moments to gift your wife a dress or jewelry, echoing the Torah’s kindness in clothing Adam and removing Moses’ garments in Ha’azinu. True value lies in her reaction, fostering Shalom Bayit with a simple, “I see how much this means to you.”

In Parshat Ha’azinu, Moshe shares the Song of Ha’azinu, a poetic warning of the trials that will befall the Jewish people, yet it culminates in the promise of ultimate redemption. The Torah, as the sages note, begins with an act of kindness, God clothing Adam, and ends with another, removing Moses’ garments in Ha’azinu. This song, rich with history and prophecy, invites us to choose