Do You Know Who I Am? It was the final examination for an introductory Biology course at the university. Like many such freshman courses, it was designed to weed out new students, having over 500 students in the class! The...
In his book, “The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness,” Dr. Jerome Groopman shares the following story: Barbara received another three courses of chemotherapy, but the tumor seemed to shrug off the drugs....
Someone in a place where songs associated with idolatry are played, such as during the Christian holiday season, is not prohibited from hearing them. However, it is correct to refrain from enjoying them, as doing so is distasteful. The...
Dear Rabbi and Shira , Hi. I’m engaged to a great guy. My issue with him is that he seems very indecisive in terms of which career to pursue. After many...
A visitor to a supermarket is struck by the vast array of chocolate items for sale, such as candies, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, chocolate cookies and the like. There is also a vast array of halachic issues which apply to chocolate. Is...
The Chanukah menorah has eight lights for the eight days of the holiday. There is a ninth light, the shamash, which is not an actual Chanukah light. A box of Chanukah candles usually contains 44 candles so you...
Parashat Vayigash tells the dramatic story of Yosef’s revealing his identity to his brothers. In the years after they sold him a slave, Yosef miraculously rose to the position of vizier in Egypt. When the brothers came...
“And Yehudah approached him...
The Torah tells us, “Va’yechi Yaakov be’eretz Mitzrayim – And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt.” The Baal HaTurim reveals that the gematria, the numerical value, of the word va’yechi is 34. He explains that 34 represents the...
