04 Feb WAKING A PARENT
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. It is so extreme that the choice it...
28 Jan RAMBAM’S FAILED VOW
Great thinkers convince people and do not try to intimidate them. In the introduction to his Guide for the Perplexed, Rambam issues a command to the reader, invoking G-d’s name. This demand is puzzling on two levels. First,...
21 Jan DEATH PENALTY
Even those with only a passing knowledge of the Five Books of Moses recognize the death penalty applied to various sins. The Oral Torah, committed to writing centuries later, explains the procedural limitations to these penalties. However there...
14 Jan IS A LAPTOP A SEFER?
Today we access Torah texts in many more ways than in the past. Of course, we primarily use printed texts (sefer, sefarim) in our learning. But very often we also access texts and write our own notes...
07 Jan COVERING A BRIDE’S HAIR
Over the past half century, the Orth- odox community has grown tremendously in its practice of married women covering their hair. At what point must a bride start covering her hair? Historically, Jewish marriage has consisted of two stages —...
31 Dec IS THE SHAMASH OUTDATED?
The Chanukah menorah has eight lights for the eight days of the holiday. There is a ninth light, the shamash, which is not an actual Chanukah light. A box of Chanukah candles usually contains 44 candles so you...
24 Dec THE MIXED-UP BRACHA ON CHANUKAH LIGHTS
I. Reasons to Deviate Rav Yosef Karo (16th cen., Israel; Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 676:1) says that the first blessing on Chanukah lights is: “le-hadlik ner Chanukah, to kindle Chanukah light.” Many have noted how puzzling this is because the...
17 Dec GIVING TZEDAKAH TO UNVERIFIED COLLECTORS
I. Obligations to Give Giving charity, sup- porting those in need, is a great mitzvah. It is important not only in order to help those who need financial assistance but also to create a giving character, which is...
03 Dec MECHUTANIM IN HALACHAH
I. Fathers-in-Law There is a deep lesson in the fact that there is no English equivalent of the word “mechutanim.” Mechutanim are the parents of your son- or daughter-in-law (mechutan is the male part of the mechutanim). When your...
25 Nov GIVING THANKS FOR ELECTION OUTCOMES
I. Thank You Hashem We recognize and thank G-d for the blessings we receive in this world, sometimes in formal ways with a blessing and other times informally. In a modern democracy, sometimes elections can turn the tide...