Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.

Soldiers dance with Torah scrolls during the celebrations of Simhat Torah in the Eshkol region in the Negev in September 2010.

Simchat Torah: From torn shoes to a crown of majesty

TWO HASSIDIC children carrying ‘schach’: Beneath it, we find shelter.

Sukkot 2025: ‘How beautiful was the journey’

ON YOM KIPPUR, feel the joy that bursts forth from a cleansed heart and purified soul.

Embrace Yom Kippur with joy, not sorrow as prayer is today’s greatest offering


Rosh Hashanah: One union

God wants us to be in unity: that we honor one another, and that we respect each other’s wishes and aspirations.

UNITY DOES not mean uniformity of opinion.

Parashat Ki Tavo: The basket of first fruits

The world is so beautiful when we look upon it with a good eye; when we bless its creator and are filled with gratitude.

GRAPES GROW in the Tali Vineyard in Moshav Lachish.

Parashat Ki Teitzei: The hidden enemy and the open enemy

In these days of mercy and forgiveness, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, it is fitting to engage in soul-searching regarding our honesty in financial matters

The Torah reserves ‘abomination of the Lord’ precisely for this form of dishonesty.

Parashat Shoftim: A king who rules over himself

A true leader is one who first and foremost rules over himself and his emotions. A person who can be overtaken by negative emotions cannot serve as a leader.

HORSES: NECESSARY or excessive?

Parashat Re'eh: The gift of mercy

This is our ancestral heritage, passed down through the generations, and rooted so deeply that it is part of our very nature.

COMPASSION & MERCY: Haredi soldiers from the IDF Hasmonean Brigade take part in a beret march after completing seven months of basic and advanced training, at the Western Wall, Aug. 6.

Parashat Eikev: Service of the heart

Prayer is one of the foundations of Judaism. A hallmark of the eternal Jew is speaking with his creator...Is it reasonable that such a central mitzvah is not directly addressed in the Torah?

AT MOUNT SINAI, the Jewish people were metaphorically ‘married’ to God.

Parashat Va’ethanan: ‘This good mountain’

What is this “good mountain” Moses refers to, and what is “the Lebanon”?

An ilustrative image of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Parashat Devarim: 'And from my students more than from all'

This dynamic of student inquiry and the teacher’s patient, honest response is essential for effective and meaningful learning – for both the teacher and the student.

An illustrative image of someone writing in a notebook.

Parashat Matot-Masei: The gravitas of gratitude

Moses, the father of the nation, paved a path for generations to come: Nothing justifies an act of ingratitude. Ingratitude is never warranted in any situation.

 An illustrative image of a note saying 'Today I Am Grateful.'

Parashat Pinchas: Zealotry: The impetus to do the right thing

The story of Pinchas reminds us that even someone who once acted boldly in zeal can also become a leader of peace and understanding.

 Phinehas slaying Zimri and Kozbi, Jeremias van Winghe (1578–1645).