The Torah never directly commands sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Instead, it tells us, in Parashat Emor (Vayikra 23:24), that we must observe the first of Tishri as a “Zichron Teru’a” – literally, “the remembrance of a...
The parsha opens with the mitzvah of bringing bikkurim, the first fruits of the seven species of Eretz Yisrael. A farmer brings them to the Beit HaMikdash in a basket, hands them to the Kohen, and recites a...
I’m engaged to wonderful woman, who shares the same values as I do, is caring, kind, and sensitive. We had a great vort, but as we begin talking about the wedding...
We all are familiar with the custom of reciting Selichos from before Rosh Hashanah until Erev Yom Kippur (and some communities even from Rosh Chodesh Elul). The question arises each year when the Selichos period is upon us as to...
This year, many people are going to try to learn lessons about how to do teshuvah from artificial intelligence (AI). I am going to go in the other direction and discuss how AI shows the wrong way to...
Parashat Ki-Tavo begins with the mitzvah of bikkurim – the requirement that a farmer bring the first of his fruits that ripen each year to the Bet Ha’mikdash, and present them as a gift to a...
In the middle of the terrible string of curses in this week’s parsha, the pasuk says, “Because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with gladness and with goodness of heart, out of an abundance of everything.” [Devorim 28:47]...
FALL OFF THE BONE BEEF BACK RIBS INGREDIENTS: 4 to 5 pounds of beef back ribs For the dry rub 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper Your favorite barbecue sauce DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven...
In the tochechah, the curses in this week’s parsha of Ki Savo, there is a fascinating pasuk. “Yisa Hashem alecha goy mei’rachok mik’tzeh ha’aretz ka’asher yideh hanasher – Hashem will bring against you a nation from a distance, from...
A poor couple received a letter from the king. The letter informed them that the king would visit their home in thirty days. The couple was very excited and honored and had to prepare. The baal habayis told his...