Why Ceasefire is Not the Answer to Israel-Hamas War
Release Date: 09/09/2024
When to be brazen | Parsha with the Chief: Pinchas
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
When to be bold, and when to be gentle? When to challenge and when to pacify? When to speak up, and when to step back? These are some of the trickiest questions we face in leadership, parenting, business, and everyday life. In this shiur on Parshat Pinchas, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores the tension between moral courage and emotional sensitivity—between boldness and humility. Drawing from the story of Pinchas, the mishnas of Pirkei Avot, and the teachings of the Tur, Rambam, Sforno, Rabbeinu Bachya, and others, the Chief Rabbi shares a powerful roadmap for navigating complex human...
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What brings success? | Parsha with the Chief: Balak
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
There is more to achieving success than intelligence, strategy, charisma, or hard work. Pirkei Avot and this week’s parsha, Balak, reveal a three-part formula for holistic success in family, career, happiness, and legacy. A powerful mishna offers a striking contrast between two individuals: Bilam, brilliant but broken, and Avraham, humble and lasting. Through Pirkei Avot, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores how character, not just competence, determines our ability to thrive. We unpack three core traits that shape who we become: generosity vs. jealousy, humility vs. arrogance, and...
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Defying Death | Parsha with the Chief: Chukat
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
One of the most defining aspects of being human is death. It happens to everyone. How do we relate to it? How do we understand it? How does it shape the way we think and live? Because how we approach death is, in truth, how we approach life itself. In this week’s parsha, Chukat, we read about Miriam and Aaron passing away. The Torah also introduces the laws of Parah Adumah — the purifying ritual for those who encounter death. These events confront us with the reality of mortality and invite us to think deeply about what our time in this world really means. Pirkei Avot teaches that death is...
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What drives you? | Parsha with the Chief : Korach
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
It’s not easy to confront the quiet pull of ego. But when our motivations reach beyond self, something changes in us — we are strengthened, not drained. We can access the love, respect and meaning we need to hold our family, community and society together. In Parshat Korach, we find a rebellion that sounds like a call for equality — but beneath the surface lies a deeper lesson. One about the motivation of those who seek power, and what happens when personal ambition disguises itself as higher principle. In this shiur, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores the tension between ambition...
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The Impact of Influence | Parsha with the Chief: Shelach
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
We all like to believe we think for ourselves. But Parshat Shelach tells a deeper story — a cautionary tale about the power of influence. Twelve spies enter the Land of Israel. Ten return filled with fear, persuading the nation to turn back. Two remain strong — but lose the battle for public opinion. The people are blinded by influence. Pirkei Avot teaches that influence shapes everything: who we listen to, who we trust, and who we allow to shape our thinking. But it also challenges us to lead with integrity — to stand firm even when the crowd pulls us elsewhere. This...
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The War to Save Israel and the World
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
Israel’s war on Iran is an historic moment for the Jewish state and the free world. The stakes could not be higher. Iran was weeks away from building nuclear weapons. That’s not a theory. It’s a fact — confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to recent IAEA reports, Iran had accumulated enough 60% enriched uranium to build up to 10 nuclear bombs — and had already begun implosion tests used to detonate nuclear weapons. The Institute for Science and International Security called it a “1-minute-to-midnight” scenario. And so, Israel struck. To prevent genocide....
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Finding Contentment | Parsha with the Chief: Beha'alotcha
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
In a world that constantly reminds us of what we lack — where happiness is confused with consumption — how do we find a sense of abundance and contentment? In this week’s parsha, Beha’alotcha, we uncover one of the Torah’s most powerful insights into the psychology of discontent — and how to overcome it. Drawing from Pirkei Avot, this shiur explores the difference between gratitude and complaining, scarcity and abundance — and how that difference shapes our entire experience of life. The Jewish people complain about the manna in the desert. They say they miss the food in Egypt....
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The Beauty of Balance | Parsha with the Chief: Nasso
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
There is beauty in finding the balance between ambition and humility, freedom and responsibility, physical and spiritual. This week’s parsha explores one of the deepest ideas in Pirkei Avot — that a life of beauty comes from learning how to hold opposites together. It’s not about compromise and neutrality. It’s about synthesis and harmony. What does it mean to live a life of balance? In the parsha of Nasso, we are introduced to the Nazir — someone who separates from physical pleasure to become holier. But while the Torah allows for this path, the Gemara calls it a sin. Why? Because...
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Shavuot with the Chief: Becoming a creator
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
On Shavuot, we receive the power to create ourselves. Pirkei Avot reveals something life-changing: Torah is the tool that God used to create the world. And it is the tool that He gives us to create ourselves. It is not just a set of laws. It is a framework for becoming. A sacred blueprint for shaping character, building values, and growing into the person we are meant to be. Discover the Torah not only as a book of rules, but as the blueprint for a life of meaning, purpose, and creativity. #Shavuot #BornToCreate #TorahWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #PersonalGrowth #JewishLearning #SelfCreation
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South Africa’s cursed President in the White House
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
The Oval Office confrontation between President Ramaphosa and President Trump served to highlight the appalling failures of South Africa’s ruling elite. In this powerful and painful video, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein confronts the full moral weight of what that moment revealed — not just about political failure, but about human suffering. The murder epidemic in South Africa is not a white genocide, nor a black genocide. It is a human genocide. And it has unfolded, for three decades, under the leadership of a government that has failed in its most basic duty: to protect its people. With...
info_outlineA ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel war is not just misguided, but a dangerous betrayal of justice. The international community’s calls for negotiation ignore the harsh reality of Hamas’ violent extremism and Israel’s right to defend itself. True justice demands not compromise, but the defeat of those who seek to destroy peace and freedom.
The Chief Rabbi argues against the international push for a ceasefire, insisting that it not only legitimizes Hamas' violent actions but also abandons Israel at a critical moment. Instead, global institutions and governments should call for unconditional surrender and the release of all hostages, ensuring that Hamas is held accountable.
Highlights include:
1/ The dangers of treating Hamas and Israel as moral equals, and why the concept of a ceasefire undermines Israel's right to defend itself.
2/ The Chief Rabbi's urgent call for the international community to demand Hamas' unconditional surrender, rejecting any compromises.
3/ A critique of Western nations, including the US and UK, for limiting military support to Israel while pursuing misguided ceasefire negotiations.
4/ A comparison between Hamas’ actions and historical examples of evil that demanded total defeat
5/ A strong warning to the West: failing to support Israel unequivocally in this war could lead to dire consequences for the Western world itself.