Booths and Clouds

The most distinctive feature of the festival of Sukkot, and the mitzvah from which it derives its name, is the Sukkah, the “booth.” The Torah writes, You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period; everyone included in Israel shall dwell in booths: So that your future generations will know that I caused the Children…

Is Repentance (Teshuvah) a Commandment (Mitzvah)?

“For this mitzvah is not far from you; it is not in heaven that you shall say ‘Who will ascend for us to the heavens…’” (Deuteronomy 30:11) Nachmanides states in his commentary that this verse refers to the positive commandment of repentance. He cites two other verses as sources for this mitzvah: “…you shall return…

To Be of Not to Be – That is the Question on Rosh Hashana

To Be of Not to Be – That is the Question on Rosh Hashana

The Jewish calendar begins with the month of Nissan, the month in which the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, the month in which we celebrate Passover. The Torah designates the months by number only, not by name: this month is called the “first of months.” Nissan marks the beginning of Jewish history because the…

Setting the Alarm

The central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah, and the defining feature of this festival in the Torah is the sounding of the shofar.   We begin to practice for this mitzvah by blowing the shofar every day of the month preceding Rosh Hashanah.  A hollowed-out ram’s horn is blown to produce sounds known as tekiah, shevarim, and…