Parashat Yitro tells of Ma’amar Har Sinai – Hashem’s revelation to Beneh Yisrael at Mount Sinai, and the Aseret Ha’dibberot. Rashi, in his commentary to Shir Hashirim (4:5), makes a…
The release of hostages in recent instances h a s o f t e n taken place on Shabbat. Footage of these events is being viewed worldwide, and as a…
The Rabbeinu Efraim teaches us that the letter shin embedded on the tefillin shel rosh, the tefillin that goes upon the head, has a numerical value of 300. This number…
After the Torah told of Beneh Yisrael’s departure from Egypt, it spoke of their experiences in the desert. It described the great miracles performed for them, showing us how G-d…
I. Anger Is Bad Anger is a destructive force. It does not just cloud judgment, which would imply reliance on instinct. Anger overwhelms judgment, taking you in directions to which…
Our Sages teach that the reason why Yisro merited to have a parsha in the Torah named for him was because of the counsel that he gave to his son-in-…
In particular, two miracles brought Yisro to convert. Rashi (18:1) writes that Yisro heard about kriyas Yam Suf and the war against Amalek, which inspired him to come. Several explanations…
The Story of Yisro The opening of this week’s parsha tells the story of the priest of Midian, Yisro, who chooses to come to the wilderness to spend time with…
When Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, the great Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir, was a young bachur (stu- dent) learning in Grodno, he went to visit to his un- cle, the Rosh…
INGREDIENTS: -2 heads cauliflower cut into small florets 1/3 c sweet chili sauce 1/3 c soy sauce 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tsp garlic powder Juice of 1 lemon DIRECTIONS:…
Recently certain kashrus agencies have begun to offer courses for women to make them mashgichot. These roles can be either to visit certain plants or to maintain the kosher program…
Our Sages teach that the reason why Yisro merited to have a parsha in the Torah named for him was because of the counsel that he gave to his son-in-…
Yisro Was Impressed By G-d’s Harsh Treatment of Moshe “Yisro… heard all that G-d did for Moshe and for the Jewish people.” As a result, Yisro was very impressed and…
May one have a dog or a cat as a pet? Is there an issur to feed bossur b’chalav to a pet animal? What other issues can potentially be a…
I recently heard a true life story that spoke volumes. It was in the mid-70s. A young successful entrepreneur went to the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l for a bracha. A bracha…
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I don’t know what to do. My younger sister is engaged to one of the first guys she dated and honestly, I’m jealous. We are three…
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General warned the country that we collectively are suffering from an “epidemic of loneliness.” He claimed that the negative health effects of loneliness are on…
CHICKEN WITH OLIVES, FIGS & DATES INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1⁄4 cup honey 1 chicken, cut in 1/8’s Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons…
Yonatan Zigelboum, known by his stage name Yoni Z, is a singer, composer, producer, and dancer whose prodigious talent has firmly established him as a maestro and performer in the…
They told me this morning at the Daf that Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest pizza day of the year. And 1.33 billion chicken wings will be consumed! As everyone…
There is no space between parashas Vayigash and parashas Vayichi, which is why it is called a Parashah S’Tumah, a closed parashah. Rashi (47:28) writes, “Why is this parashah closed?…
How does Tu B’Shevat impact the counting of years of orlah (prohibition of eating fruit from a tree during its first three years)? One may not eat fruit that grew…
Rabbi Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1869), in his work Mo’ed Le’kol Hai (chapter 30), discusses a number of different laws and customs relevant to the month of Shevat. He begins by…
“Vayehi beshalach Pharaoh es ha’am, And it was when Pharaoh sent out the nation…” (Shemos 13:17). The Talmud teaches that when the word “vayehi… and it was” is used, it…
With my youngest child approaching his teenage years I thought my Disney days were over, but when my grandchildren came to me asking, “Zayda, can you come with us to…
POTSTICKERS INGREDIENTS: 1 lb ground chicken 1 bunch chopped scallions 1/3 cup hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp garlic 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp sesame oil 1 package…
Lately, a major c o n t r o v e r s y erupted when a highly renowned and influential rabbi stated that G-d needs us. He explained that…
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I just spent Shabbos at my future in-laws, and I don’t know what to do. They are a wonderful family, sweet, and welcoming. The only problem?…
Gambling is very widespread today. People go to casinos, and bet on horses and sporting events. They gamble at slot machines and play various card games. Until recently, gambling was…
In illustrating both the importance of honoring our parents and the extent to which we must go to honor them, the Gemara tells a story that seems difficult to comprehend….
The first place Beneh Yisrael came to after crossing through the sea, as we read in Parashat Beshalah, was a place called Marah. The Torah tells us that during the…
This week’s parsha contains the famous “Song of the Sea” (Az Yashir). The Medrash says that Moshe told G-d “I know that I sinned against You with my use of…
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS), a rapidly-growing congregation of over 1,000 families in Boca Raton, Florida. BRS is the largest Orthodox Synagogue…