People arrange a minyan in their home to accommodate someone sick, elderly or otherwise unable to attend synagogue. When I was a teenager, we had a Shabbos mincha/ma’ariv in someone’s basement because the mile-plus...
People arrange a minyan in their home to accommodate someone sick, elderly or otherwise unable to attend synagogue. When I was a teenager, we had a Shabbos mincha/ma’ariv in someone’s basement because the mile-plus...
I. Honoring the Kohen The Torah (Lev. 21:8) commands us to honor kohanim, members of the priestly family, by allowing them to go first (Gittin 59b). We let them go first in...
As a New York resident who worked in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, I will forever be haunted by the tragic day and its aftermath. However, visitors and future generations,...
Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the end of the Jewish summer and the beginning of the autumn holiday season. Throughout the month, we engage in customs that grow as we approach...
The fundamental principle of public Kabbalah classes is inherently self-contradictory. Esoteric teachings are intended for the intellectual elite, not the masses; otherwise they would not be esoteric. Comprehension of complex...
The digest of Tisha B’Av laws in The Koren Mesorat HaRav Kinot (published by Koren and OU Press with commentary on the Kinos adapted from Tisha B’Av tapes of Rav Joseph...
The blessing of a righteous person has a place of pride in Jewish tradition, even if it is currently taken to extremes in certain circles. Shimon Peres has famously credited...
Because popular media is discussing a new movie in the Ghostbusters franchise, an outreach website asked me to write about what Judaism teaches about ghosts. According to the Torah, do...
Many Jewish homes feature pictures of famous rabbis. Charedi newspapers and magazines, in particular, often have special sections for pictures of leading rabbis. Around thirty years ago, Gedolim cards–like baseball...
