Is one permitted to bathe, take a haircut or listen to music on Taanis Esther? The Meiri (Sefer Magen Avos 23) writes that Taanis Esther is different than other communal fast days. Other communal fast days...
HARVEY WALLBANGER CAKE INGREDIENTS: Cake: 1 Box yellow cake mix 1 cup vegetable oil 4 large eggs 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur 1/4 cup vodka 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix 3/4 cup fresh orange juice Glaze: 1 cup confectioners sugar (sifted) 1 tablespoon...
Parashat Pekudeh continues the Torah’s discussion of the Mishkan, the portable Temple which Beneh Yisrael carried with them through the wilderness. The purpose of the Mishkan – which was also the purpose of the Bet Ha’mikdash, which later...
The Hebrew language is like no other, it is Lashon HaKodesh, the Holy Tongue. Its words are not just a combination of letters, but each word is holy, with the power to transmit meaningful...
The Long Journey The drama was almost complete. The people exiled in a foreign country for more than two centuries, and for much of that time in unbearable conditions, experienced a miraculous liberation through direct and manifested intervention by...
A few weeks ago, I was travelling and davened in a shul in another community. In the middle of davening, I was trying to concentrate on my conversation with Hashem when I heard a voice loudly say, “Hello.”...
We have previously discussed the difference between Chanukah, where the Maccabees took up arms to defend their sovereignty, and Purim, where the Jews relied on prayer without engaging in physical defense. Today, we will delve into that topic again,IY”H. While...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, I’m not sure what to make of this. I’m dating a guy who we have great chemistry with on dates, conversation is good, and we connect very well....
Rabbi Hershel Schachter shlita, 82, a noted rosh yeshiva and posek, has had a distinguished career with the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) for over 50 years. Rav Schachter became an...
There is an interesting Medrash on the pasuk “See G-d has called by name Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah” [Shemos 35:30]. The Medrash references the pasuk in Koheles “A good name...