“Another book on the parshah?”

If that was your thought upon seeing More Power Points, then think again! Because this book is unlike the many other parshah books that are out there.

More Power Points will provide you with beautiful insights to say over at the Shabbos table each week and on each Yom Tov—with minimal time and effort. The beauty of each piece is in its brevity yet clarity.

Take a look at the excerpts below from Parshas Bereishis, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Hashem created man in His image… (Bereishis 1:27)

            Whenever Rav Aharon Kotler was driven on the turnpike, he insisted on passing through the manual toll booth and not the automatic ones. He explained that every human being was created in Hashem’s image, and to bypass a human being in order to use a machine shows a lack of appreciation for the value of a person.

Rav Moshe Feinstein was once told that a taxicab was waiting for him. Rav Moshe bemoaned the fact that in earlier times, a person was told that a driver was waiting for him; now it is the taxi that is waiting. The person used to be the focus of conversation, whereas now it is the car that is the focus. Unfortunately we have become so dehumanized, that machines have become more important than people.

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And Hashem saw all that He had made and behold it was very good… (Bereishis 1:31)

            The Midrash says that the term “good” refers to the Good Inclination, the yetzer hatov, while “very good” refers to the Evil Inclination, the yetzer hara.

Rav Moshe of Pshevorsk explains that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether one’s inclination stems from good or bad. He suggests that the way one can tell is by seeing how persistent the feeling is. The yetzer hatov makes a suggestion, and then leaves it to the person to decide whether or not he will follow his advice. The yetzer hara, however, nags and doesn’t let up until he has the person in his clutches. When one feels a desire to do something, and he finds himself obsessing over it, chances are that it comes from the yetzer hara. That is why the yetzer hara is referred to as “very good,” since it is very persistent in its approach.

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…“It is not good for man to be by himself; I will make him a helpmate opposite him.” (Bereishis 2:18)

A young woman complained to Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller that she was offended because the Torah seems to view the woman’s role as nothing more than a helper to her husband.

Rebbetzin Heller responded, “You have a misunderstanding of what is meant by ‘help.’ You are assuming that the Torah is talking about hired help, where indeed the image comes to mind of an uneducated woman who is paid fifteen dollars an hour to wash floors. But imagine a person who is dealing with serious problems who says, ‘I need some help.’ The image of that type of help is a therapist who may be paid hundreds of dollars an hour. A woman can define her role either way. With the proper attitude, she can exert tremendous influence and accomplish great things for her family and for society. With the wrong attitude, she will feel under-appreciated and unfulfilled.”

Powerful? Check.

Short and to the point? Check.

There you have it, then. More Power Points—everything you could wish for in a parshah book!

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Readers, you’re in for a real treat! Popular writer, speaker, and educator Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein is back, with a book filled with food for thought…and many good laughs!

Jewish Life and Jewish Laughter offers Rabbi Y.Y.’s sharp and witty perspective on the various Jewish life cycle milestones and events. It’s not for nothing that Rabbi Y.Y. is invited to speak all over the world—with his wealth of knowledge, personal experiences, and fantastic sense of humor, the good British rabbi attracts fans wherever he goes.

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Below is an excerpt from his newest book:

The Bigger Test

Most people think life is easy when you’re very rich. They would be wrong. Just ask the rich folk.

A while ago I was invited to speak for what I consider to be a very important Jewish organization at two of their branches. One was in Las Vegas and the other in Los Angeles.

Las Vegas was first. I spent Shabbos there speaking and met most of the people who were coming to the fundraiser on Sunday night. The atmosphere was warm, and my audience, many of whom had already become friends, were eager to listen and delighted to laugh at the funny bits of my speech. A large amount of money was raised, and I decided to repeat the same winning talk the next night in LA.

The venue once again was someone’s home, this time in Beverly Hills. It was the sort of home that’s so large family members have to text each other to find out where they are. Shouting won’t work; no one will hear you. Keep Reading…

A rabbi, a priest, and a minster walk into a bar.  The bartender says, “What is this—some kind of joke?”

 No, the rabbi routinely hangs out with these guys.  In bars. 

I don’t know; maybe it’s a salad bar.

…and Mordechai Schmutter is off and running with his latest humor book: What Is This—Some Kind of Joke?

(Yes, the question mark is part of the title; as Schmutter points out, like you’re a teenager who ends every sentence with a question to let the other person know that the conversation isn’t over.)

The great thing about this book is that it’s got the flavor of nearly every type of joke around, so you don’t have to fear that you’re being gypped out of even one little bit of humor. There’s a section of articles pertaining to dad jokes; chicken-crossing-the-road jokes; changing-a-light-bulb jokes; orange-you-glad-I-didn’t-say-banana jokes; what’s-black-and-white-and-red-all-over jokes; and many more.

And in case you’re still doubting just how many laughs you can get from a book like this, below is an excerpt from the book so you can see—or laugh—for yourself!

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All the Amenities of Home

This summer, you should definitely take some time to go on a vacation; quick, before the kids get off from school. And since you don’t take vacations very often these days, you should definitely try to get as much as you can out of this one. For example, if you go to a hotel, you should try to get some soaps and shampoos. You can also get pens, stationery, shower caps (even though you have never used one and don’t understand why someone would wear a rain hat in the shower), and, if you’re willing to stay in a “smoking” room even though you don’t smoke, you can get matches.

Which brings us to the question: Keep Reading…

“I’m sitting next to Mommy!”

“No, I am! It’s my turn—you sat there last week!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

You wearily try to break up the fight at the table while your husband just as wearily tries to sing “Shalom Aleichem.” No one else joins in.

Then the next fight starts. “Eew, someone put gefilte fish on my plate! I don’t like gefilte fish!”

And on and on, as you think to yourself, How much longer until bentching time?

Sounds familiar? I thought so. Because all too often, the beautiful Shabbos seudah we try so hard to conduct just slips out of our grasp, amid all the chaos and fighting and seat-finding and guest-small-talking going on around us…

But don’t lose hope—you can still have the Shabbos table of your dreams! You just have to read How to Run a Successful Shabbos Table, by Rabbi Dovid Kaplan. In this book, Rabbi Kaplan, a veteran mechanech and popular author, presents ideas and techniques that can, with just a little preparation, effort, and forethought, help transform the Shabbos table into something your whole family will look forward to each week.

Could such a thing really be? Read the book, and then you can answer the question yourself!

Click here to purchase online.

Below is an excerpt from this handy—and very helpful—little book:

WHAT TO DO AT THE TABLE                                                                                 

Keeping everyone’s interest at the table is extremely challenging, especially when there are children and teens of different ages. The goal is to have some sort of interaction which is Torah-based, but achieving that is not always so easy. Discussing the parshah may interest some and not others. Often the ideas presented may bore the people at the table. Telling stories is good, but you may not always know a story, or the ones you do know are already familiar to the audience. There is also the disadvantage that stories do not necessarily lead to conversations which everyone can be involved in. Keep Reading…

What do you get when the chairwoman of a Bikur Cholim organization signs up for a chaplaincy training course and becomes a hospital chaplain? You get Rachel Stein at her best, brimming with stories, anecdotes, and inspiration culled from this not-your-ordinary line of work!

Rachel will be the first to tell you what an awesome responsibility it is to be an advocate for the sick, yet with her trademark humor and good cheer, she manages to find the positive in each situation—and to learn and grow from it. In Life Support, we are treated to dozens of terrific stories and vignettes about the colorful characters Rachel met while on call in the hospital and while doing her Bikur Cholim volunteer work.

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Below is an excerpt from this inspiring and uplifting book:

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Does She Know I’m Here?

Every Friday my children and I trekked to the nursing home to wish the Jewish residents a good Shabbos. But there were times I wanted to skip Ruth’s room.

Ruth was seemingly paralyzed in body and soul. Every week I found her in the same position, lying sideways on her bed, her face turned to the wall. Sometimes her eyes were closed and she seemed to be sleeping; other times she stared vacantly straight ahead.

“How are you, Ruth?” I would say as I bustled in, putting a wide smile on my face. Keep Reading…

You know you’ve reached a certain stage when your four-year-old begins asking you questions like, “Why are tomatoes red?” or “Where does the sun go at night?” or “How am I able to see my face in the water?” But all you do is give your child an indulgent smile and say, “That’s a good question—maybe we’ll ask Tatty later. Now please finish your supper.”

You know you’ve reached a certain Stage when your ten-year-old begins asking you these same questions and your dismissive answers aren’t accepted all that easily anymore. Now you can’t wait till Tatty comes home so you can put the onus of answering on him; your child will pester you and pester you until you come up with some kind of response for him yourself.

So, what’s a parent to do in this situation? Well, the way I see it, you have one of two options: you can either read Exploring the Wisdom and Wonders of the Universe with Professor Noe Ital yourself and obtain the answers to your child’s questions like that, or you can give the book to your child, so he can read the answers for himself!

In this book, Efraim Harari, acclaimed author of the “Jewish World of Wonders” series, tackles many oft-wondered-about questions relating to ten fascinating fields of science. Together with Professor Noe Ital (you’ll need to read the book to find out who he is), readers will explore space, plants, Earth, the weather, medicine, and much more—and emerge with a clear understanding of many of the how’s and why’s of what goes on in our amazing universe.

If you’re one of the many fans of Harari’s Exploring the Wild World of Animals and Exploring the Wet and Wild Underwater World, you’ll find the fun facts, Torah Tidbits, and joke sections to be pleasurably familiar…and just plain fun! This book makes a terrific gift for kids—and adults—of all ages, and we do mean that, so don’t be surprised to find yourself waiting impatiently for your child to go to bed so you can sneak the book from his room and indulge in it yourself!

Exploring the Wisdom and Wonders of the Universe has just hit the bookstores—so what are you dawdling for? Don’t wait until your kids bombard you with their questions during supper one night—go out and get this book today so you can be prepared!

Click here to purchase online.

Click here to preview a chapter.

The much anticipated first volume on the life of Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l has been released and is in bookstores throughout the country and around the globe.

The Legacy of Maran Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Israel Bookshop Publications)  – excerpts below – appears only a week after the shloshim, and contains the haskamah of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, which was penned only two days after the end of the shivah period!

This meticulously researched book contains only authentic, inspirational, true short stories of Rav Ovadia, from his youth until his recent passing. It focuses almost entirely on his greatness in Torah, and his unquenchable love for Torah which propelled him forward throughout his life, and enabled this Gadol Hador to emerge from a poor Iraqi immigrant boy.

“This is the perfect book for anyone, young or old, who wishes to grasp the essence of Hacham Ovadia Yosef, which was Torah, Torah and more Torah – together with a tremendous love for his fellow Jew.” So says the book’s co-author, R’ Yehuda Azoulay, founder of the Sephardic Legacy Series, The Institute for Preserving Sephardic Heritage. Written in captivating and easy-to-read style, with hundreds of photos, it will make a coveted Chanukah gift as well.

Rabbi Azoulay’s extensive full-length biography of Hacham Ovadia Yosef is due out in the months ahead.

Click here to purchase online.

EXCERPTS FROM THE LEGACY OF MARAN HACHAM OVADIA YOSEF:

Through Gunfire

One evening when he was about thirteen years old, there was heavy Arab shelling and Yerushalayim responded with a total blackout. Keep Reading…

You’re in a pickle.

Last Chanukah, you gave a copy of Exploring the Wild World of Animals to everyone on your gift list, and you were immediately crowned “Best Parent/Grandparent/Uncle/Aunt/Friend” of the season. Wonderful—it felt good. But now, with Chanukah just around the corner again, you’re unsure about how to keep up your reputation. A book as amazing as that is not a common phenomenon, which leaves you wondering what you can give as gifts for this Chanukah.

Well, we have the answer to that! Announcing…(drum roll, please…): The Jewish World of Wonders’ second book, Exploring the Wet & Wild Underwater World—a stunning, large-sized, full-color book exploring the beautiful and mysterious world of fish and other aquatic creatures!

In this fascinating and gorgeous book, readers are taken on a spectacular journey through the oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes of the world, to learn the wonders and design of thirty-five beautiful and unique marine animals. You’ll discover these aquatic creatures’ predators and prey; how each one survives in its habitat; and loads of other fascinating “Fast Facts,” “Wacky Facts,” “Did You Know?” tidbits, and of course the popular “Animal Quacker” jokes about each animal. As in Exploring the Wild World of Animals, there is also a “Torah Talk” section for each sea creature, where Torah values and lessons can be gleaned from the creature by way of a mashal.

So go ahead; make someone’s day—or your own!—with this incredible book. Turn the pages, and you’ll soon find yourself playing with a colony of porpoising penguins, swimming with a pod of “smiling” dolphins, meeting some graceful manta rays, and discovering many of the other amazing aquatic creatures that fill the underwater world that Hashem created!

Click here to purchase online.

Click here to preview a chapter.

Excerpts from the new book “Leading with Love: Guidance for Our Generation from Maran Harav Aharon Yehudah Leib Shteinman shlit”a”

Living with Faith

 …Take for example, the enormous tragedy which occurred in the United States. [The attack on the Twin Towers] was such an eye-opener in that a major world power, feared by all the other countries, could be stricken by such a sudden tragedy! The initial reaction should have been to acknowledge, “We see the hand of Hashem.” But listen to what people are saying. They are constantly explaining away what happened with all sorts of causes.

Certainly, there was an immediate cause. But we must realize that the “cause” is just Hashem’s way of running the world through natural means, for He does not want to run the world in a noticeably miraculous fashion. (It should be noted that here we did see things bordering on the miraculous.) The fact is that one needs much siyata d’Shmaya to recognize that all is from Hashem. Because Hashem effects good [in the world] through the innocent and bad through the guilty, He chose to send the tragedy through those [terrorists]. However, everything is from Hashem! People tend to confuse matters and to think that so-and-so or such-and-such was the cause. Therefore [to overcome this tendency], we must strengthen ourselves greatly in our emunah. We must realize that everything is hashgachah. Nothing at all can occur that is not governed by Hashem’s special Divine providence.

Fear of Yom Hadin

We are now just a few days before Yom Kippur. Throughout all the eras and all the generations, the Jewish Nation has always been very serious and solemn during the period of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (the Ten Days of Repentance) out of fear of the approaching Day of Judgment. In truth, the “Books of Life and Death” are open, and our fate is dependent primarily on Yom Kippur. Although the judgment of the tzaddikim and the resha’im was already inscribed and sealed on Rosh Hashanah, who can consider himself a tzaddik? At best, we are beinonim (average). Indeed, if only we would be beinonim! Therefore, our day of judgment is Yom Kippur.  Keep Reading…