One of the prohibitions that apply on Tishah B’Av is that we do not wear normal shoes. In the olden days, people would walk about barefoot on Tishah B’Av, whereas nowadays we have non-leather shoes or slippers...
“You have enough, circle the mountain, and turn to the north (tzafonah).” (Devarim 2:3) The Kli Yakar lived during a time when the Jews enjoyed prosperity, and he did not approve of the way they dealt with it. He...
During the Nine Days, we practice habits of mourning over the destruction of our two Batei Mikdashos, our two Temples, and the millions of Jewish lives that were lost in the wake of their ruin. The Gemora teaches us...
Beginning Rosh Chodesh Av until after Tisha B’Av (the Nine Days) the custom of Ashkenazim is not to eat meat or drink wine, in remembrance of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. What about a food that was cooked...
The two Batei Mikdash were destroyed because of aveiros, but the aveiros of these two eras weren’t the same. The primary aveiros of the first Beis HaMikdash were avodah zarah, giluy arayos, and shefichus damim. The second Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because...
In Parashat Debarim, Moshe recounts several of Beneh Yisrael’s experiences as they traveled through the desert, including the time when they prepared to journey along the border of Edom, the nation that descended from Esav, the brother of...
We chase opportunities most of the time; sometimes, though, they follow us. This is the story of how Boots for Israel began as an idea that birthed an initiative that...
Last week, we cited the fundamental Rashi, that the way for a man to treat his wife like a husband should, is legad’lah u’lechavevah, to make her feel important and wanted. Making her important is one of the commitments...
I still remember vividly one of the strangest ads I have ever seen. When I was much younger, a restaurant in my neighborhood was promoting its special menu for the Nine Days, including fish specials, tofu dishes, and veggie...
In parshas Matos, members of the tribes of Gad and Reuven, approach Moshe, Elazar the Kohen, and the princes of the nation with a request. Both tribes had large herds of livestock. They were passing...