We just celebrated the beginning of the Jewish month of Kislev, the month in which Chanukah falls. This will be the first of a number of articles about the upcoming festival. First we will set the opening scenes of this epic encounter of Jewish history. Israel: Approximately 200 years before the events of Chanukah, hundreds…
There is a custom to begin sounding the shofar in the synagogue a month before Rosh Hashanah, the New Year. The idea is that we have to start the process of change well before Rosh Hashanah to avoid a last minute, panicked rush. During the month before Rosh Hashanah, known as Elul, the shofar is…
This week’s Torah portion includes the commandment for the Jews to take possession and to settle in the Land of Israel. Our Sages have discussed this precept at length. “The Holy One, Blessed Be He said, `The Land of Israel is more dear to me than any other land… and the Jewish people are dear…
Parshat Matot begins with a discussion of the laws of vows and promises. Although Jewish law discourages taking oaths because of their seriousness and severity, nevertheless it is customary to make promises, or pledges for charity. Maimonides explains that one of the ideas behind making a promise to give before giving, as opposed to merely…
As we enter another week of searching for our kidnapped boys in Israel, Jewish people around the world unite in prayer for our children. From Psalms recited by the Knesset of the State of Israel, to a song at the wedding of a Chassidic Rebbe’s son, so a prayer assembly at a stadium in Monsey,…
In our parsha, the pagan prophet and seer, Bilaam, attempts to curse the Jewish people, but through Divine intervention only succeeds in blessing them. One of the central themes of this parsha is the power of blessings and curses. In our own lives also, blessings can be very powerful tools for becoming better people. Many…
The Torah portion of Korach ends with an extensive discussion of the various tithes (agricultural taxes) that the Torah requires. The basic idea is that the Land of Israel and its agricultural products are considered holy, therefore there are special laws that apply to them. The most well known is the obligation in Biblical and…
In this week’s Torah portion, we are commanded to tie fringes, called tzitzit, to the corners of every four-cornered garment: G-d said to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves fringes [tzitzit, in Hebrew] on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations. And they…
It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Some explain this as one component in re-enacting Sinai. Having just received the laws about kosher food, the Jewish people had no choice but to limit themselves to easily prepared dairy or plant based foods, as opposed to meat that would require kosher slaughter, salting and…
The people of the United States of American have just observed Memorial Day, which commemorates the sacrifices of the many brave soldiers who died in defense of the United States and its values. I think that it is, therefore, appropriate to reflect briefly on the blessings of the USA. Abraham’s relationship with God was rooted…