DO WE SAY G-D’S NAME CORRECTLY? I. G-d’s Grammar In the early seventeenth century, scholars who were both grammarians and Kabbalists debated the proper way to pronounce G-d’s name. The Tetragrammaton (4-letter...
I. Celebrity Selfies One Motza’ei Shabbos two years ago, Jewish social media buzzed when a famous non-Jewish comedian posted a selfie with Jewish students walking in Manhattan, with a note that...
I. EMUNAH & KNOWLEDGE Judaism is founded on its core emunahs, which the Rambam lists as thirteen. But what is emunah and how do we acquire it? A better understanding of...
I. AMEN’S LIMITED IMPACT In the mid-1500’s, a Rabbi Yisrael in Adrianople initiated a new synagogue practice. On arrival in shul in early morning, a group of men would alternate reciting...
I. HAPPINESS ISN’T UNIVERSAL Many people feel that their lives are enriched by Judaism. Their rituals and holidays bring joy and meaning while deepening their marriage and family ties. The...
I. Rashbash and Chumra Religious life tends toward conservatism, retaining the practices and rhythms of prior years. New stringencies are often derided as fanaticism, an offensive rejection of earlier generations’ religiosity....
The period between Pesach and Shavuos contains a mourning period–different days depending on one’s custom–during which certain joyous behaviors are forbidden (commonly called Sefirah because this period also includes the...
YOUNGER SIBLING MARRYING FIRST Is a woman allowed to marry before her older sister? This opens many emotional issues, as the anxiety over marriage grows as a single person ages. Perhaps...
I. Enslaving the Jews Were the Egyptians right in enslaving the Jews? The question seems outrageous at first. However, Pharaoh and the Egyptians fulfilled G-d’s prophecy to Avraham that his descendants...
