Parashat Terumah tells of the construction of the Mishkan, the place where Beneh Yisrael offered sacrifices to Hashem in the desert and until the Bet Ha’mikdash was built. The commentaries explain that the Mishkan is symbolic of the...
Walking through the Boca Raton Synagogue grounds, one immediately senses that something extraordinary is unfolding. The rapid expansion, the diversity of its minyanim, and the unmistakable energy of its community...
There is some confusion as to the appearance of OU D on non-cholov Yisroel brands of milk. Does this certification on a milk container signify that a mashgiach from the OU periodically visits...
As part of the event of Matan Torah, when G-d revealed Himself to Beneh Yisrael and gave the Torah, Moshe constructed an altar and had sacrifices offered. We read that Moshe placed half the blood in basins, from...
This week’s parsha, Mishpatim, opens with the words “V’eileh hamishpatim, And these are the ordinances.” (Shemos 21:1) “V’eileh, And these.” One little letter, vav, meaning and, connects the previous parsha of Yisro to parshas Mishpatim....
The Jewish Parrot After his wife died, an old Jew received a parrot from his sons to keep him company. After a time, he discovered that the parrot had heard him pray so often that it learned to...
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General warned the country that we collectively are suffering from an “epidemic of loneliness.” He claimed that the negative health effects of loneliness are on par with those of tobacco use and obesity. According...
This year’s Super Bowl commercial focuses on combating antisemitism. The ad portrays a young Jewish teenager named David walking through a public school hallway, where two bullies shove into him from both sides. Other students are shown giggling at his...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, Help, I don’t know what to do. I’m supposed to start dating soon, but I’m really nervous about talking to anyone. This hasn’t started recently—as long as I...
The Mitzvah One is obligated to send mishloach manos on Purim to his friend etc. This mitzvah was introduced during the time of Mordechai and Esther and is considered a divrei kabbalah mitzvah and not a d’oraisa. There are two basic...