Can one use very sweet cinnamon challah for lechem mishneh, even though it is more like cake than bread, and the bracha would be mezonot? Very sweet cinnamon challah is a dessert-like item. When eaten alone, the bracha is mezonot. However,...
Parashat Tesaveh describes the Bigdeh Kehuna – the priestly garments, which include the four special garments worn by the Kohen Gadol, and the four other garments worn by all Kohanim. Our Sages tell us that these garments were...
It was summertime. My parents were upstate lecturing in the Pine View Hotel. I was taking courses in Brooklyn College, and being that my siblings were in sleep- away camp, I had the house...
The Gemorah says one who experiences any of four occurrences recites the beracha of hagomel. These four are: 1. Traveling by sea. 2. Walking through a desert. 3. Being freed from jail 4. Being healed from sickness. The Aruch Ha’shulchan explains...
Dear Rabbi and Shira, Thanks for your column. I look forward to reading it each week in The Jewish Vues. Here is my issue. At what point should a person start dating?...
Kohanim are the descendants of Aharon, the priests of our people. In past eras, a kohen had a special role in the nation. Even today, a kohen retains certain privileges and obligations, such as being called first to the...
The Torah in Parashat Teruma discusses the construction of the Mishkan and its furnishings. Undoubtedly the most sacred of all the furnishings of the Mishkan was the aron – the ark, which was kept hidden in the Kodesh...
“And You Shall Take for Me Teruma” — Doing For Oneself This week’s parsha contains the section in the Torah that deals with the building of the Mishkan. The Torah tells us that the Jewish people were commanded...
Parshas Terumah is all about generosity and giving. This trait translates practically into our most important relationships. Rav Elya Lopian, Zt”l, introduced a fundamental lifetime concept: To strengthen one’s love for another person, one should give to that person. This...
This week’s parashah discusses the halachos of how to build the Mishkan. The Torah applies to all generations, so there is a concept of Mishkan even today. It states, (25:8) Ve’esu Li Mikdash Ve’shachanti Besochum, “They shall make for me a...