Is a canvas sukkah kosher if the walls move in the wind? Sukkah walls that move in a regular wind are not valid walls. There are different opinions as to…

A woman in her seventies had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. She had the opportunity…

A renowned Rabbi once did a favor for the Gerrer Rebbe, the Lev Simcha, which the Rebbe remembered for many years. Each year, on Erev Rosh Hashana, the Rebbe would…

The Torah commands us to reside in Sukkot during this holiday in order to remember “that I had Beneh Yisrael reside in Sukkot when I took them from Egypt.” The…

The subject of whether one should sit in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres has been the topic of debate and discussion since time immemorial. There are many who have the…

The Yom Tov of Succos is upon us. All over the globe, Klal Yisroel sits under the schach and reflects back to over 3000 years ago when Hashem protected us…

Chol Hamoed Sukkot is a cherished family time, often prompting people to plan trips and outings since children are off school, and parents are off work. However, a common question…

Our time in this world is limited. We strive to do all the good we can and avoid doing wrong. When we sometimes misstep, we try to do teshuvah and…

The Gemara tells us that after one’s demise, he will be asked, “Did you wait for the salvation (for Moshiach)?” The Imrei Emes of Gur zt’l said that the question…

Dear Rabbi & Shira I’m a Baalas Teshuva struggling to find “the one.” Many people won’t date me because of my family background. The ones that do date me, I…

Dear Shira and Rabbi, When I graduated high school I said to myself and my parents that I did not want to date right away. I wanted to wait until…

ONION SOUP DIRECTIONS:  This onion soup is so easy to make and delicious to eat in the Sukkah. Slice six large Vidalia sweet onions and add them to your soup…

USHPIZIN – Aramaic for guests. Seven nights of Succos. Seven exalted, spiritual guests. We welcome the holy neshamaos of the raya mehemna, the faithful shepherds, leaders of our people, to…

In our Yom Tov prayer text, Sukkot is called “our festival of joy.” The primary theme of Sukkot is joy. What exactly is the connection between Sukkot and joy? A…

The Torah reading on Simchas Torah contains the well known pasuk [verse]: “The Torah was commanded to us by Moshe, a Morasha [inheritance] to the Congregation of Yaakov.” [Devarim 33:4]…

A Tale of Two Jews In the world of yesteryear, in a small village near Karlin, Belarus, lived two Jews. One was a Chassid—a pious follower of the great spiritual…

Hashem’s Visit Rebbe Bunim of Pshischa zt’l told the following parable: Someone’s home was very dirty, and although he tried to clean it many times, he was never successful. So…

The Mishna in Maseches Yoma (1:5) says that in preparation for the Yom Kippur Service, the elders of the Beis Din transferred the Kohen Gado lto the elders of the…

Last week we cited the siddur of Rav Shabtai Mei’Racksho, the Mateh Efraim, and the Chida. The all concur that the twice daily saying of L’Dovid Hashem Ori is a…

Many of us find Teshuba to be a difficult, grueling process. We often feel too intimidated to even begin thinking about Teshuba and changing who we are. And yet, ironically…

The story is told that Rav Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev once summoned all of the Jews to assemble in the town square the next day because he had an announcement…

Dear Rabbi and Shira, Help. I’m not sure what to do. I’m a newly married guy and just spent Yom Tov with my in-laws. All in all things went pretty…

ONE PAN, HONEY, LEMON, CHICKEN, AND POTATOES INGREDIENTS: 6 chicken thighs 6 chicken legs 1/3 cup olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 3 tsp honey 1 tsp each garlic, paprika,…

While Hashem’s judgment is profound and concealed from us, our sages (Chazal) have provided us with some insights into the general principles of how Hashem judges people. The period between…

My mother, the Rebbetzin a”h, would often lead Hineni tours to Israel. Instead of doing the typical tourist sightseeing, Hineni tours had a mission. A mission of prayer and spiritual…

I. Asking for Forgiveness In recent years, there has been much discussion about what constitutes a sufficient apology. Sometimes people apologize under pressure and do not really admit to having…

NO BRAINER A freshman in college started his first day of classes. His Jewish teacher was clearly an atheist, and started the day by saying the following: “Students, is there…

The story is told of a man who wanted to join the Communist movement in Russia many years ago. He sat down with the official who conducted an interview. The…

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we kneel on the floor during davening at oleinu and while saying v’kohanim. In addition, many times we wish to kneel on the ground…

Eating on Erev Yom Kippur As we approach the Yom Tov of Yom Kippur, we think of the importance of the day, and we are also concerned about how we…

Hagaon Harav Avrohom Eisen, shlit”a, the Pozna Rov, is the Morah Dasrah of the Bais Hamedrash Levush Haora-Pozna (the Pozna Shul) in Flatbush and the founder of the Shas Yiden…

Though the Mitzvah of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is rooted in the Torah’s commandment, it also serves another important purpose. The shofar functions as a compelling wake-up call…

In memory of Michael Laves z”l, a good friend who always greeted people enthusiastically I. Have a Good Year Many people greet each other on Rosh Hashanah with blessings for…

We often picture G-d this time of year as a judge, sitting at His bench, waiting to catch us, judge us and hold us accountable. Not only is this not…

The Custom of Tashlich We all know that when it comes to Rosh Hashanah there is a custom to go to tashlich and say tefillos there. Those who don’t go…

The custom of most people is to fast on Erev Rosh Hashanah. What is the source and reason for this? Does it apply to everyone? Until what time in the…

I once flew to Miami for one night, to deliver a talk. I returned to Brooklyn the next morning, taking a very early flight out of Miami. It was too…

On the first day of Rosh HaShana, the haftara is the story of Chana, from the Book of Shmuel. It is the story of a woman who longed for a…

CORNED BEEF WITH GLAZE INGREDIENTS: one 3-4 lb corned beef Half a cup of ketchup Half a cup of brown sugar Quarter cup white vinegar Quarter cup of mustard 2…

Dear Rabbi and Shira, Hi! I really enjoy reading your column each week and I’m hoping you can help me. I’ve been dating a guy for about a month and…

There is a tradition that the Ten Days of Repentance – the period from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur – correspond to the Ten Commandments. Each day of this ten-day…

The Mishna says [Rosh HaShanah 27b] that someone who passes the back side of a shul or someone whose house is next to a shul and he hears the Shofar…

As we are in the heat of the Days of Awe, there is a powerful segulah, a propitious activity in which all of us can take advantage of, and yet…

What’s the Novelty? Teshuvah, or repentance, one of the greatest gifts that Judaism and the Torah have given humanity, is the idea that G-d gives second chances. This is a…

What is preferable? To wake up early and recite Selichos before dawn (a.k.a. alos hashachar, which is 72 minutes before sunrise), or to stay up late and recite Selichos after…

Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm leaving some awestruck and others terrified. While many have begun to utilize the rapidly developing technology in a myriad of ways, among…

Dear Rabbi and Shira, I’m engaged, and I’m not sure what to do. You see, my chasan, who is a lovely guy, who is very sincere, and I had a…

Moshe Rabbenu tells us in Parashat Nisavim (29:28), “Ha’nistarot L’Hashem Elokenu Ve’ha’niglot Lanu U’l’banenu Ad Olam” – “That which is hidden belongs to Hashem our G-d; but that which is…

As we commemorate the 90th yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) of the Chofetz Chaim, it is an opportune moment to reflect on his teachings and consider their relevance in addressing contemporary…

ONION JAM CHICKEN INGREDIENTS: 6 chicken bottoms 4 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup of golden raisins 3 cinnamon sticks 1/4 cup of silan 1 teaspoon turmeric Salt and…

As we approach closer and closer to the Day of Judgment, we are earnestly trying to find ways to upgrade our mitzvah output for the coming year. We understand that…