09 Mar SHABBOS SHOES
I. Shabbos Clothes We greet Shabbos and spend the entire day clean and proper, dressed in fine clothes. Do we also need to wear fine shoes that we have designated for...
Shabbos Times for Dec 21, 2024 | 20 Kislev, 5785 | Parshas Vayeshev | Candle Lighting Time: 4:14 PM | Havdalah (72 min): 5:44 PM
02 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...
23 Feb AN AMBIGUOUS KIDDUSH HASHEM
We like to think that a Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification or glorification of G-d’s name, is perfectly good. It is the ultimate expression of religious virtue. In reality, this is...
16 Feb IS THERE A MITZVAH TO REJOICE IN ADAR?
I. No Mention of Adar The Gemara (Ta’anis 29a) famously says that when Adar begins, we increase joy. While this saying is often quoted, standard codes omit it. Rambam (12th cen.,...
09 Feb YAHRTZEIT BOARDS AND DIGITAL DISPLAYS
When I was young, it was common for synagogues to have large boards with plaques containing the names of the deceased and small light bulbs that were turned on for...
02 Feb WHEN TO SAY BA-MEH MADLIKIN
In the recently published issue of the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (no. 75), Rav Avraham Yeshaya Cohen writes about the impact of praying alone (during Coronavirus) on the...
27 Jan WALKING ON GRAVES
Graveside funerals, or visits, often generate crowds around a grave, forcing people to search for space to stand. Are you allowed to step on someone else’s grave for a service...
20 Jan RECHARGING PHONE: YOM TOV SHEINI OR SHABBOS?
I. A Time to Recharge The latest issue of the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (RJJ Journal), under new editorship, is devoted to Coronavirus questions. One article contains short, translated...
12 Jan PRIVATE ERUVIN
I. ACCESS TO ERUV MATZAH Many people have their own private eruvin, structures that allow them to carry on Shabbos. They do this with one or more neighbors by ensuring the...
05 Jan THE FORBIDDEN SEFER
Our thirst for Torah has limits. We treat learning as a sanctified activity and therefore restrain our activities to ensure we use appropriate sources and texts. Are there some Torah...