About the Author

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. He is the author of 19 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies. See his website at rabbibenjaminblech.com.

Click here to purchase Rabbi Blech’s new book, Hope Not Fear: Changing the Way We View Death.

Yom Kippur and the Lessons of 9/11

Yom Kippur and the Lessons of 9/11

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“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”

The Shofar's Stirring Message for Today

The Shofar's Stirring Message for Today

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Tragedy has its powerful language which transcends words and alerts us to the kind of pain experienced by so many during the global pandemic.

Woke and Ignoring the Gifted

Woke and Ignoring the Gifted

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Yes, “all men are created equal”, but that doesn't mean we are all identical.

Identifying As A Jew in an Anti-Semitic World

Identifying As A Jew in an Anti-Semitic World

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Leave the kippah on or take it off?

It’s Not about Israel; It’s about Being a Jew

It’s Not about Israel; It’s about Being a Jew

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As attacks across the US show, the detested object of scorn remains the same as it has for thousands of years – the Jews.

Survivor's Guilt: Covid, The Holocaust, and Sinai

Survivor's Guilt: Covid, The Holocaust, and Sinai

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Channeling the potential guilt by embracing a life filled with meaning and purpose.

Jonathan Frostick’s Heart Attack and the “New Rules for Living”

Jonathan Frostick’s Heart Attack and the “New Rules for Living”

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Why his simple yet profound words went viral.

Celebrating Passover After the First Year of Covid-19

Celebrating Passover After the First Year of Covid-19

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How do we celebrate when our lives are still filled with so much sadness? The nation's very first Passover provides an answer.

Rabbi Blech on the Pandemic's First Anniversary

Rabbi Blech on the Pandemic's First Anniversary

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Purim masks and face masks: Looking forward to when masks stop concealing God's presence, nor be required by a soon-to-be conquered pandemic.

Saving America

Saving America

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I tremble at the thought of the country perishing from within. We must find a way to return to the values and the ideals which were the original source of our greatness.

When Covid is Over: The Hidden Blessings of 2020

When Covid is Over: The Hidden Blessings of 2020

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There are blessings waiting to blossom in the aftermath of our global confrontation with the angel of death.

A Rabbi’s Confession: What I Discovered by Not Going to Shul

A Rabbi’s Confession: What I Discovered by Not Going to Shul

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I prayed and learned Torah at home, but there was no way I could replace the communal aspect that only a synagogue supplies.

Sukkot and Corona: Three Major Messages

Sukkot and Corona: Three Major Messages

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Exploring the timely relevance of this Jewish holiday.

Rosh Hashanah and The Abraham Accords

Rosh Hashanah and The Abraham Accords

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The first historic Abraham Accord happened more than three millennia ago. It's no coincidence it's part of the Rosh Hashanah Torah reading.

Life's Two Essentials

Life's Two Essentials

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Both our bodies and our souls require sustenance and nourishment.

An Open Letter to Seth Rogen

An Open Letter to Seth Rogen

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Seth, you spent an hour of prime time savaging your fellow Jews, misrepresenting Jewish history, defaming Israel and Israelis, and slandering Judaism. What gives?

Bari Weiss and the New York Times

Bari Weiss and the New York Times

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The paper has lost sight of its "deepest responsibility to make readers think".

Sports with No Spectators

Sports with No Spectators

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Greatness isn't measured by the applause of the crowds.

Plague and Prejudice: Today's Famous Last Words

Plague and Prejudice: Today's Famous Last Words

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Help, I can’t breathe.

Remembering Rabbi Norman Lamm

Remembering Rabbi Norman Lamm

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A grief-stricken testimonial by a lifelong admirer, devotee and friend.

How The Torah Changed The World

How The Torah Changed The World

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An in-depth exploration on the 10 Commandments and personal fulfillment.

Three Talks about Death You Should Have Now

Three Talks about Death You Should Have Now

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It’s necessary to talk to your rabbi, your doctor, and to your children.

The Power of a Hug

The Power of a Hug

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What have you missed the most during this terrible time of quarantine and self-isolation?

Perseverance: NASA’s Mars Project and Preparing for Shavuot

Perseverance: NASA’s Mars Project and Preparing for Shavuot

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Perseverance is what will bring us to Mars this summer. And it's the crucial trait we need for our spiritual journey as well.

When the Quarantine Is Over

When the Quarantine Is Over

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A meaningful insight derived from the etymology of the word “quarantine.”

My Personal Passover Miracle

My Personal Passover Miracle

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For my wife and me, it was nothing less than a personal Passover miracle.

Passover and the Eleventh Plague

Passover and the Eleventh Plague

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The linkage between Passover and Tisha B'Av offers us tremendous hope and comfort in this tragic time.

God and the Coronavirus

God and the Coronavirus

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What could be the meaning of a virus forcing millions into a “timeout” of quarantine and seclusion?

Coronavirus and Blaming the Victims

Coronavirus and Blaming the Victims

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When it comes to outbreaks, blaming the victim has a very long precedent, as Jews unfortunately know all too well.

The Shrine of Mordechai and Esther

The Shrine of Mordechai and Esther

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The Iranian government is threatening to demolish the tomb of Mordechai and Esther and turn it into a Palestinian consular complex.

Coronavirus and the Biblical Quarantine

Coronavirus and the Biblical Quarantine

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Be careful who you are exposed to.

Indifference or Collaboration: Which One is the Road to Auschwitz?

Indifference or Collaboration: Which One is the Road to Auschwitz?

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Does indifference to evil make you complicit?

Jewish Genius and Bret Stephens

Jewish Genius and Bret Stephens

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Don't confuse racism with hard-earned excellence.

The Monsey Hanukkah Horror

The Monsey Hanukkah Horror

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We Jews, descendants of the Maccabees, need to become more Jewish, not less Jewish.

Denying Anti-Semitism and Terrorism

Denying Anti-Semitism and Terrorism

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Camouflaging reality can’t hide the truth.

Sacha Baron Cohen, Facebook and Antisemitism

Sacha Baron Cohen, Facebook and Antisemitism

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We need to fundamentally reevaluate how “the greatest propaganda machine in history” spreads hate, conspiracies and lies.

Ok Boomer: Inter-Generational Warfare

Ok Boomer: Inter-Generational Warfare

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More and more young people are thinking that the older generation are incapable of offering rational opinions.

The Difference between Success and Happiness

The Difference between Success and Happiness

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Sukkot and the shortage of psychiatrists in Silicon Valley.

My Personal Miracle

My Personal Miracle

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I am the recipient of one miracle. Now I’m hoping for another.

“Our Boys”: The HBO Series Uses a Jewish Tragedy to Condemn Israeli Society

“Our Boys”: The HBO Series Uses a Jewish Tragedy to Condemn Israeli Society

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It's a despicable misrepresentation of truth.

How to Realistically Change the World

How to Realistically Change the World

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Start by thinking small - and in that way change ourselves and our own world.

The Mass Shootings: Tisha B’Av in America

The Mass Shootings: Tisha B’Av in America

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America needs a national day of introspection, reflection – and yes, repentance.

The Forgotten Twins: When a Baby is Left to Die in a Parked Car

The Forgotten Twins: When a Baby is Left to Die in a Parked Car

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The dangers of living on auto-pilot.

FaceApp: What You’ll Look Like 50 Years from Now

FaceApp: What You’ll Look Like 50 Years from Now

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No app can really predict what you will look like in 50 years, because you haven’t finished creating it.

The Moon Landing, 50 Years Later

The Moon Landing, 50 Years Later

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How can we explain mankind’s unquenchable thirst to discover what lies beyond our earthly home?

Messages from Your Loved Ones After They’re Gone

Messages from Your Loved Ones After They’re Gone

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Obsessed with death, a child of a Holocaust survivor creates an app that enables you to leave meaningful messages to loved ones.

Yesterday: The Beatles, The Movie and the Torah

Yesterday: The Beatles, The Movie and the Torah

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How could the world forget the Beatles?

Harvard’s Mistake

Harvard’s Mistake

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Doesn’t Harvard believe in forgiveness and redemption?

Burnout, Shavuot and Living with Purpose

Burnout, Shavuot and Living with Purpose

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Pursue meaning, not happiness.

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