Parashat Ki- Tisa begins by completing the Torah’s discussion of the construction of the Mishkan. In the previous Parashiyot, we read of the building and its furnishings, as well as the special garments worn by the Kohanim and...
Last Shabbos, in cities around the globe, from NY to LA, from London to Paris, from Sydney to Sao Paulo, Jews gathered in shuls to hear Parshas Zachor. Zachor, to remember. On the Shabbos preceding...
Whence Such a Transformation? It was one of our lowest points in history, the nadir of the Jewish people. Forty days earlier, they heard the voice of G-d; they vowed to become His people. Now they were dancing around...
What are the guidelines for mishloach manot? Both men and women are required to fulfill the mitzvah of mishloach manot. One must send two different portions of food or drink to at least one other...
For some reason, people think that drinking is acceptable at certain times, such as on Simchas Torah, at a Shalom Zochor, at a wedding, and on Purim. Many people become intoxicated by drinking wine or whiskey on Purim. Is there...
Is a mourner, within a year for a parent or thirty days for another close relative, allowed to lead synagogue prayers on Purim? A man who is in mourning is expected to lead weekday prayers in the synagogue. Of course,...
It is well-known that Hashem is never mentioned explicitly in Megilat Ester. The omission of His Name is by design, as the story told in the Megilah appears to unfold randomly, with the events occurring coincidentally, as though...
The last pasuk in the Megillah reads “For Mordechai, the Yehudi, was viceroy to King Achashveirosh; he was a great man among the Jews, and found favor with the multitude of his brothers (ratzui l’rov echav); he sought the...
My veteran readers will remember that sometimes I imagine a simulated, fictional interview with the Yeitzer Hara to give us an inner look into the machinations of the one whose mission it is to cause us to sin....
One year, Reb Yeiva of Ostra’a wanted to be happy on Purim, but it was hard for him as he was struggling financially. A happy person arrived, they celebrated Purim together, and Reb Yeiva became joyful. Reb Yeiva said that this person...