The Midrash brings down in the name of Rav Yochanan that the malachim come before Hashem and ask, “When is Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?” Hashem responds to them that we need to ask the Bnei Yisroel, for the Bais Din establishes when Rosh Hashana falls out. Why would the malachim ask...
A seemingly lopsided dispute between leading Mussar thinkers may be more even than initially appears, finding basis in an oddly placed Medieval polemic. When Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan brought his Chafetz Chaim before publication...
Jews traditionally name children after ancestors, Ashkenazim after deceased ancestors and Sephardim after living ancestors. However, there are many non-traditional Jews and many reasons why a traditional Jew may want...
The concept of not doing “nekama” and “netira” (taking revenge or harboring a grudge) is seen clearly in the Torah. The classic example of this would be if Reuven asks Shimon to lend him a...
One of the ways we get ready for Rosh Hashanah is with the saying of selichos. Starting with the early 1 a.m. selichos last motzoei Shabbos and then the challenging...
We see in this week’s Parsha, Perek Lamed, posuk yud tes the importance of choosing life so that we can survive for many generations. The Rash MiShantz on the Mishna in Peah, Perek Alef, Mishna Alef quotes a Yerushalmi in which Reb...
Fixing Judaism On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, many have the custom of walking to a natural source of running water and reciting the Tashlich prayers. The...
Every morning in Elul, we hear the piercing sound of the shofar. It is a reminder to get cracking in preparation for the Day of Judgment. For many of us,...
This time of year it’s always nice to add apples to our cooking. A fresh crisp Cole slaw salad is a great addition to your Yom Tov meals and will...
We learn about the chashivus of Eretz Yisroel in this week’s Parsha since mitzvos that can only be done in Eretz Yisroel are discussed. The Gemara in Bava Basra, daf kuf nun ches, amud alef speaks about an argument between Reb Ila and Reb Zeira. After Reb Zeira went up to Eretz...
