01 Nov EXPELLING A MEMBER FROM SHUL
It is both a privilege and an obligation to attend shul. However, sometimes a community finds it necessary to expel a member. Under what conditions is it permissible to tell...
25 Oct CAN AN ATHEIST DO A MITZVAH?
I. Reasons for Mitzvos Everyone fulfills commandments at some point, even if only incidentally. But can the actions of an atheist or other non-believer count as mitzvos, as fulfillments of the...
04 Oct MAY A YISRAEL DUCHEN?
I. Who May Duchen? The Torah commands kohanim, male descendants of the priestly families, to bless other Jews while raising their hands and reciting a specific formula, i.e. to duchen, to...
29 Sep SOCIAL MEDIA CONFESSIONS
I. Social Media and Teshuvah Social media allows people to publish their innermost thoughts, share their dreams and fears, discuss their concerns and challenges. You don’t have to reveal so much publicly...
21 Sep THE HALACHOS OF SHUSHING IN SHUL
I. Talking Destroys Shuls Talking in shul has been a problem since time immemorial. People who talk about idle matters during the prayer service not only show disrespect for the sanctity...
14 Sep CAN MASHIACH COME ON ROSH HASHANAH?
We believe, with complete faith, that Mashiach will come and we wait daily for his arrival. Does that mean that he can come any day? On the one hand, this...
06 Sep COULD ACHER RETURN?
I. Acher’s Sins Repentance, teshuvah, is an ability to repair the past and create a better future. Everyone sins. Teshuvah allows you to get past that, to learn from your mistakes...
30 Aug CALL ME RABBI
Aside from its obvious effect on those who became ill, Covid caused many secondary effects in society. Among them is clergy exit. Clergy of all religions faced unusual strain during...
24 Aug DREAM INTERPRETATIONS
Our dreams intrigue us and sometimes haunt us. Often, they challenge us to try to understand their meaning. Granted, not all dreams contain a divine message. As we discussed earlier,...
17 Aug LAST NAMES IN HALACHAH
I. What’s In a Surname? Last names serve to identify an individual with greater specificity. There may be many men named Yosef ben Ya’akov in the marketplace but Yosef ben Ya’akov Schwartz...