One of the mitzvos of Purim is giving food to a friend. The verse says that Purim is a day of “u-mishlo’ach manos ish le- re’ehu, sending food a man to his friend” (Esther 9:22). The Sages see in...
Is a mourner, within a year for a parent or thirty days for another close relative, allowed to lead synagogue prayers on Purim? A man who is in mourning is expected to lead weekday prayers in the synagogue. Of course,...
Drinking coffee raises a surprising halachic difficulty. Coffee seems to have entered the Jewish world during the 15th and 16th centuries. Yet it was only in the 17th century that a major halachic question regarding its blessing was addressed. One...
I. Shul Sanctions Shuls (synagogues) need funding in order to maintain the building and provide services to members. This is clear and obvious. It is uncomfortable to talk about such matters because we want to focus on religious growth and...
I. The Maximal Tzadik A recent saying has it that every Jew is a tzadik, righteous. Taken literally, the statement strains credulity. Jews, like everyone else, commit sins, some grievously so. Even the conscientious Jew is marked by inconsistency and...
I. Shabbos and Popular Culture Stop, in the Name of G-d is a surpris- ing book of praise for a traditional Jewish practice by a leading Christian figure. Charlie Kirk, the right wing polit- ical activist and devout Christian,...
I. Shabbos and Popular Culture Stop, in the Name of G-d is a surpris- ing book of praise for a traditional Jewish practice by a leading Christian figure. Charlie Kirk, the right wing polit- ical activist and devout Christian,...
I. The Illusion of a Free Gift There is a fairly common practice for charity organizations to send people free gifts—calendars, books, Chanukah candles—and expect a donation in return. If you receive such a gift, are you required to...
The recent worldwide growth of open antisemitism has prompted many Jews to hide their identity. Out of fear of harassment or violence, many Jews have started hiding their identity in public outside their own neighborhoods. Men in particular tuck in...
I. The Spiritual Power of the Land of Israel Living in Israel is a religious ideal, even a mitzvah. But the Gemara goes even further, saying it has additional spiritual benefits. Living in Israel is good not only for...