Though the word “influencer” has been used in English since the mid-1600s, it has more recently taken on a new meaning. Though the term can apply to a wide variety of people, influencers, essentially, are people who engage their...
Purim is a very exciting time, and some people spend a lot of time planning their costumes. What is the source of this custom? What are some of the reasons for this practice? Is it permitted to daven...
The Chasam Sofer (Drushim p.245) writes, “I received from Reb Mendele Lilig zt’l, the Rav of Frankfort, who received the tradition from the יעקב שב that who- ever studies Torah be- tween the megillah reading at night and the megillah...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, My wife came from a frum household and prefers to cover her hair with a teichel, however she doesn’t cover all her hair and half of her...
It is hard to believe that this Taanis Esther will already be the 37th yahrzeit of the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Zt”l, Zy”a. There was a time that, when you said ‘Reb Moshe,’ everyone all over the globe instantly...
DEALING WITH THE TENSION OF THE HUMAN PERSONALITY Linking the apron and the breastplate There is an intriguing mitzvah (commandment) recorded in this week’s Torah portion: “And they shall bind the choshen (breastplate) by its rings to the rings of the...
On Shabbat Zach- or, we read the final three verses in Para- shat Ki-Teseh which command us to remember the unprovoked attack launched against our ancestors when they left Egypt by the nation of Amalek. This attack oc- curred...
The Megillah introduc- es Mordechai as an איש יהודי and also as an איש ימיני .The Gemara ex- plains this to mean that from his mother’s side, Mordechai descended from the tribe of Yehudah (יהודה ,(and from...
On Purim, we send gifts of food to friends, in fulfillment of the verse “U-mishlo’ach manos ish le-rei’ehu, and of sending portions a man to his fellow” (Esther 9:22). Mishlo’ach manos is one of the mitzvos of Purim. We...
The Symbolism of Haman’s Offer of Silver Shekels The Megillah [Esther 3:9] states that Haman offered to increase the King’s coffers by 10,000 kikar silver in exchange for the right to get rid of the Jews. (Tosfos in Tractate Megillah...