Parashat Hukat begins with the command of the Para Aduma, the red cow which was slaughtered and then burned into ashes. These ashes were mixed with water that would be used to purify people and objects that...
Parsahas Chukas. The end of an era. Bnei Yisroel’s forty year journey through the desert is coming to a close. Forty years of travels, encampments, and life lessons. Forty years of dedicated guidance and leadership...
Stop Pounding Rabbi Sam Wolfson was giving his speech to the Jewish Federation about the “Tragedy of Jewish Assimilation.” Toward the end of his long speech, the Rabbi clapped his hands...
Visits to Israel used to be highlighted by sitting at the Kotel, going on tiyulim up north, shopping in the shuk, and eating shwarma throughout the country. For my past five visits since Simchas Torah, however, they have...
This week’s Haftara (Chukat) feels like it could be taken from a modern-day newspaper, as it addresses the Jewish people’s right to the land of Israel, particularly in relation to Ishmael. It discusses the impending war of the nation...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I am dating a guy who wants to be a rabbi. He’s a smart individual with sterling middis and a big heart. At the beginning of our...
The Jewish people have al-ways focused on birthdays. On Pesach, we celebrate the birth of the Jewish nation. We say in Mussaf that the world was created on Rosh H-shana. Many question whether making a birthday party is a Jewish...
I. Shoes Off In the Diaspora, Ashkenazim perform Birkas Kohanim (the priestly blessings) only on holidays. However, in most places in Israel, it is done every day, albeit without the lengthy singing. This is a biblical requirement, which raises the...
Parashat Hukat introduces us to the mitzvah of parah adumah – the special red cow that was used for purifying. The cow was slaughtered and burned, and the ashes were then mixed with water. That water would be...
