This year the Hebrew month of Tishrei coincides with most of the month of September. The festivals of Rosh HaShanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkoth (Tabernacles) and its intermediate days, and Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret all fall within a few weeks! That means, in addition to Read more
Becoming an Orthodox Rabbi is not something you can do on your own. You need a Rabbi supervising your program and testing you… and maybe even more important for success is a great study partner. I was fortunate to have Rabbi Ken Spiro as my study partner for the five Read more
Thanks to my friend and colleague Shraga Simmons for this fun and educational quiz. Visit aish.com for more great info about Chanukah! 1. What does the word “Chanukah” mean? A. candles B. triumph C. dedication D. potato pancake C. Dedication Chanukah celebrates the heroic efforts of the Maccabees Read more
Contrary to popular opinion, the first of the Ten Commandments is NOT “to believe in God.” In the Mishna Torah, Maimonides teaches that the first commandment articulated as “I am the Lord your God…” is be understood as an obligation “to KNOW there is a first Being.” To confuse matters Read more
Most people would translate “Kabbalah” as “Jewish Mysticism.” But that definition fuels many misconceptions about Torah. [NOTE: I do not encourage anyone reading this to study “Kabbalah” as it is popularly presented in the English-speaking world. Many of those presenting it are charlatans distorting authentic Torah for their own gain. Read more
This year my Hebrew birthday (28th of the month of Shvat) occurred on February 13. The Torah portion coinciding with my Hebrew birthday is “Terumah” Exodus 25:1–27:19. This was the Torah portion that I read from the Torah scroll in Synagogue for my Bar Mitzvah. After the exciting stories at Read more
The issue of national leadership is grabbing headlines around the world – whether it’s who makes the best leader as President or Cabinet Secretary or Supreme Court Justice. What better time for learning the Torah’s view of leadership than this week’s Torah reading― which tells of Pharaoh and Moses leading Read more
“And if you bring an a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with olive oil, or unleavened wafers spread with olive oil.” Leviticus 2:4 Following the celebration of Hanukkah this past month, a unique opportunity opened to the public: the purchase Read more
Everything in the world is a potential springboard for meaning. From the Torah portion — Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43) (This is a guest post from my dear friend and study partner, Rabbi Shraga Simmons. Originally published on Aish.com) This week’s parsha finds Jacob crossing the Jabbok River into Israel. Besides a Read more
When King Solomon died, the ten northern tribes refused to submit to his son, Rehoboam, and they revolted. Jeroboam, a banished leader of Solomon’s court, led the rebellion and when Rehoboam refused to work out the grievances of the northern tribes, those tribes declared their independence and proclaimed Jeroboam King Read more