The Gemara says, “Reb Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of talmidim (24,000 students). They lived [all over in Eretz Yisrael] from Gavas until Antifras, and they all died in the same peri-od of time because they didn’t honor one another...
How does one feel so profoundly connected to someone they never met, they had never spoken to, they had never even heard of? At the heartbreaking funeral for his two daughters, Maia and Rina H”yd, who were brutally...
I am a frequent traveler and sometimes I find myself in a motel with a kitchenette. Am I able to go to the local fish store and purchase kosher fish? You certainly cannot...
MATBUCHA INGREDIENTS: 6 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 1 small green jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced OR 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped 1/3 cup oil (canola or...
It is now the period of Sefirah, counting the days from the second night of Pesach until Shavuos, the time that the Jewish nation received the Torah on Mount Sinai. “U’sfartem lachem, And you shall...
A casino visit can be a fun way to spend your leisure time and money but is it a kosher trip? There is more to discuss than just the greed that energizes many casino goers. We must remember...
The pasuk [verse] says, “You should keep My statutes and My laws, which if a man obeys, (‘v’chai bahem’) he shall live through them, I am Hashem.” [Vayikra 18:5] The Gemara [Talmud] learns from this source that if...
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...
It states in this week’s parashah, Kedoshim Tehiyu, “You shall be holy.” A similar pasuk is (Vayikra 11:49), “Vehiskadashtem Vihisim Kedoshim,” “Sanctify yourself, and you shall become holy.” The Chasam Sofer zt’l translates the latter pasuk...
In the second chapter of Pirkeh Avot, we read the following teaching of Rabbi Shimon: When you pray, do not make your prayer “permanent,” but rather compassion and pleading before G-d. What does Rabbi Shimon mean when...