22 Mar HOW MUCH HOLIDAY PREPARATION?
I. Thirty Days Before A Holiday Holidays are much like other things in life in the sense that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. We are instructed to study...
15 Mar STANDING AT THE GATE
The Megillah mentions on several occasions that Mordechai sat ךלמה†רעשב– “at the king’s gate.” Apparently, he would frequently sit by the gate to the king’s palace. But we must wonder...
15 Mar CAN YOU GIVE CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR MATANOS LA-EVYONIM?
Cryptocurrency has gained traction in recent years, valuing over two trillions dollars in circulation. Can you fulfill the mitzvah of giving money to poor people on Purim (matanos la-evyonim) with...
08 Mar CAN YOU GIVE AN NFT AS MISHLO’ACH MANOS?
One of the mitzvos of Purim is giving Mishlo’ach Manos, a gift of at least two different things to a friend. With technology constantly evolving, I wonder whether you can...
01 Mar SPILLING WINE
I. Spilling Wine Rav Moshe Isserles (Rema, 17th cen, Poland; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 396:1) records a custom to spill Havdalah wine on the ground. He explains that the basis of...
22 Feb WHAT CAN YOU LEARN ON SHABBOS?
The question of what you can learn on Shabbos often revolves around the permissibility of reading secular material. However, it also applies to the proper Torah material for Shabbos. What...
15 Feb FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE
We believe in fighting honorably in the rare, unfortunate case in which fighting is necessary. But does that mean that we have to be at a disadvantage? If our enemy...
08 Feb DOES HASHEM NEED US?
I. Hashem Has No Needs On first thought, it seems outrageous to suggest that Hashem would need us. In order to need something you have to lack something. If Hashem needs...
01 Feb SAYING A WICKED NAME
I. The Hungarian Apostate Are you allowed to say the name of someone wicked or should you avoid saying it? Mishlei (10:7) says, “The memory of the righteous shall be for...
26 Jan JUDAISM’S BALANCE OF ITS FINANCIAL BURDEN
On the one hand, never before have Jews been as prosperous as they are now. Both the vast majority of individuals and the community in general are currently blessed with...