25 Apr ARE CASINOS KOSHER?
A casino visit can be a fun way to spend your leisure time and money but is it a kosher trip? There is more to discuss than just the greed that energizes many casino goers. We must remember...
A casino visit can be a fun way to spend your leisure time and money but is it a kosher trip? There is more to discuss than just the greed that energizes many casino goers. We must remember...
The pasuk [verse] says, “You should keep My statutes and My laws, which if a man obeys, (‘v’chai bahem’) he shall live through them, I am Hashem.” [Vayikra 18:5] The Gemara [Talmud] learns from this source that if...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I am dating a guy who wants to be a rabbi. He’s a smart individual with sterling middis and a big heart. At the beginning of our...
It states in this week’s parashah, Kedoshim Tehiyu, “You shall be holy.” A similar pasuk is (Vayikra 11:49), “Vehiskadashtem Vihisim Kedoshim,” “Sanctify yourself, and you shall become holy.” The Chasam Sofer zt’l translates the latter pasuk...
In the second chapter of Pirkeh Avot, we read the following teaching of Rabbi Shimon: When you pray, do not make your prayer “permanent,” but rather compassion and pleading before G-d. What does Rabbi Shimon mean when...
The Torah in Parashat Kedoshim presents a large number of Misvot, covering a very wide range of topics. This Parasha begins with G-d instructing Moshe to present these commands “El Kol Adat Beneh Yisrael” – “to the entire...
The middle brachos of the Shemone Esrei are the petitions that we ask Hashem for the full gamut of our needs. The first petition, for knowledge, starts in a peculiar way. It is the only bracha of...
A Degenerate Sanctioned by Torah Four Mitzvos and a Slice of Fish In a small town in Eastern Europe, a poor beggar once approached the home of an extremely wealthy but very stingy man. “Sir, I haven’t had...
Shaving on Friday when Erev Shavuos etc. is Sunday. When either Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the first day of the three preparation days before Shavuos, or Erev Shavuos falls out on Sunday, shaving is permitted on Erev Shabbos even for those who...
Spring allergy season typically starts around Pesach and extends into mid- July. Pollinating trees usually mark the start of spring allergy season. A sensitivity to pollen causes the body to produce an abundance of allergic antibodies. These reactions can lead to various...