For the Sins of 5777 of…
May we be forgiven for these and all our mistakes and sins...
The Tenth of Tevet
10th of Tevet marks the onset of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonia
Letting Go of the ‘Old; Israel: A Talmudic Insight about 70 years
Israel fully understands that with power and wealth comes responsibility; it does not panic every time it is criticized; and can finally plan for the next 70 years instead of worrying about the next 70 days.
Throwing Off The Burden Of Sin The Real Meaning Of Tashlich
If our teshuva is real, if we feel sincere regret and have resolved to become better, Hashem will look at us as new people.
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Guide for the Perplexed, 2018
Sukkot Sameach!
What?! A Passover Seder in a Rural Village in ZIMBABWE?!
The Lemba tribe (Southern Africa) have an oral tradition they're descendants of Israel's Lost Tribes
A New CD By Chazan Benny Rogosnitzky Looks To Inspire Daveners and Baalei Tefillah...
“When you realize that you are the one carrying them and taking their tefillos to the Ribono Shel Olam, that shift puts everything into perspective.”
Ari Fuld on the Holidays | Passover: Freedom vs. Responsibility – 5778 (2018)
Ari Fuld discusses: What are we celebrating on Passover and what are the lessons to be learned?
Morality and the Memory of Mitzrayim
A halakhic perspective on the Exodus
The Fighting Light of Chanukah
As Israel experiences a national rebirth on our native soil, the forces of evil are gathering all of their strength to wage a final war to stamp out our light.
Turning the Bad Into Good – It All Depends On You!
Only 1 mitzvah I couldn't keep in their prison: Sukkah; How could I build a Sukkah in a KGB camp!
Rosh Hashana: The Three Stages of Teshuva
Elul and Rosh Hashanah center around the concept of teshuva, and Parshas Nitzavim is clearly linked to this theme as well. The pesukim in Nitzavim discuss the theme of teshuva, the importance of choosing life - choosing what is right, and connecting ourselves back to Hashem. As Parshas Nitzavim is connected to the transition from Elul into Rosh Hashanah, let us delve into the idea of teshuva.
ABC’s of Yom Kippur
Guidelines for the holiest day of the Jewish year – the Day of Atonement.
A Hanukkah contemplation: ‘To Another Year’
To lead meaningful Jewish lives, our personal journeys must be actively shaped by the events and populated by the personalities of our peoples’ past.
The Psychopath Inside: Yom Kippur, Free Will & Determinism
Our genetics deal us a set of cards. It remains up to us how to play them.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Guide for the Perplexed, 2020
Fascinating insights into Yom Kippur
The Sukkot State of Mind
The encounter with the timeless stability of the divine occurs within the Sukkot.
Purim: Guide for the Perplexed 2023
Purim Sameach
Celebrate Purim With Your Kids
Here are some fun ways to dress up, make some noise and have a raucous good time at your next Purim party.
Tisha B’Av Special: Uncovering the Ashes of First Temple Period Jerusalem
In the City of David, the place where Jerusalem began, the evidence of those periods and their tragic end are being revealed, bringing to light all that was lost and the incredible endeavors to reveal and rebuild our beloved and eternal capital.
The Hopeful Kippah
"A Yid has hope. This Yarmulke gave me hope during the Holocaust.”
Why Don’t We Say ‘Al Netilas Esrog’?
Since the lulav’s special quality is expressed in the taste of its fruit (the date), why aren’t we required to take the fruit itself instead of its leaves?
Is It Bad To Be Vulnerable?
Sitting in your Sukkah remember: No one is so powerful, wealthy, smart or talented to not need God
May One Use Grape Juice For Arba Kosot
We see that the wine for Arba Kosot must be considered chashuv. Rav Moshe Feinstein, in turn, rules that grape juice is not chashuv.
Royal Wine: This Little One Will Be Great
A bottle of wine is big and heavy, and when you give dozens of mishloach manos to friends and relatives, it can get quite expensive and tedious. Thankfully, the selection of smaller wine bottles and cans has grown tremendously.
Shmini Atzeres – Simchas Torah – V’zos Ha Beracha
It is so very hard to leave the holiness of the Sukkah but Shmini Atzeres offers a unique opportunity to attach ourselves to God and enjoy that special relationship.
Israel and Amalek
Judaism is about making distinctions and Israel and Amalek are polar opposites.
When A Goat Came To The Seder Table (Dayenu!)
The song only became popular with Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews much later, and it was eventually translated into Ladino, Arabic and other languages. But what is it doing in our haggadah?
Yom Kippur: Flying Amongst Angels
Our goal as humans is not to escape the physical, but to use it as a means of connecting to the transcendent.
The Art of Ignoring – So Safe, So Repulsive, So Dangerous
As one that has trained and followed rabbis throughout their careers, I can generally say that rabbis gain detractors not so much because of their sermons, vision, lectures or the like, but rather when they fail to return phone calls, when they avoid bikur cholim, and when they fail to respond to emails. One can deal with refusal, disagreements, debates and the answer 'no', but how should one deal with being totally and utterly ignored?!