Holidays

Rashi, the Rif, and some Ge’onim go even further than the Rambam in their attitude towards mevushal wine; they maintain that it is not even full-fledged wine, and one should make a shehakol – not a hagafen – before drinking it.

Does Hashem ever go away and not pay attention to us?

What have you achieved this past year with the help of God, and what would you like to achieve with His help next year?

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?

Various great rabbis tried to influence its residents – the place was visited twice by the saintly Rav Kook, zt”l – but it seemed pointless.

The encounter with the timeless stability of the divine occurs within the Sukkot.

The Vilna Gaon says that the Haggadah is a handbook for the entire path of history the Jews will travel from Avraham to Messiah

To see God’s Hand in our world is represented in the “bread of faith” known as the Matzah. To lose sight of God’s Hand in this world is represented by the Chometz.

A statement issued by the Frenkel, Yifrach and Sha'ar families thanks Israel for 'justice served.'

Look into the darkness, to search for the source of faithful illumination that can guide us along the path of spiritual integrity.  The flames of the Chanukah menorah shine bright out of the deepest darkness, when the days are shortest and the cold of winter has descended.

If you had an important court date scheduled – one that would determine your financial future, or even your very life – you'd be...

What is the relationship between Purim and Pisces? In what way is Purim related to fish?

Repentance is arduous. But the outcome, in reach of each of us, is cleansing, renewal, and restoration.

Chag Sameach-Happy Shavuout!

Fun Fact: The organizers of the Boston Tea Party were referred to as “the modern day Maccabees.”

In the past, a question came to mind that had been bothering me regarding Succos. My difficulty was with respect to the Succah itself. I...

The Passover legacy contributed to the foundation of the culture, justice and liberty of the USA, and the support of the American people towards the Jewish state.

Can you count to "49"?

When we understand that the greatest expression of God's might is God's compassion, we open ourselves to receive the gift of Lives of Compassion. Once we have been granted Lives of Compassion; compassion for others and for ourselves we can become a society united in compassion, and wickedness will evaporate.

The Seder celebrates freedom by emphasizing ideas I am not sure we remember, chief among them some unusually relevant this year

Shavuot is the holiday of the Torah, which impacted the US Constitution in particular and the state of Western morality, liberty, and democracy in general. Shavuot is celebrated by decorating homes and houses of worship with Land of Israel-related fruit, vegetables, herb and flowers, demonstrating the indigenous connection between the Torah of Israel, the People of Israel, and the Land of Israel.

The author of the book Ronit Treatman, the daughter of Israeli diplomats who speaks several languages and lives in Philadelphia, was inspired to write the book after she became involved with the Bnei Anousim, the tens of millions of people around the world descended from forcibly converted Spanish and Portuguese Jews through the organization Reconectar.

Pesach is the birthday celebration of the emergence of our people into the international arena

The sign above the doorpost

The universal lesson of Chanukah through the prism of fluted glass

God will judge you on Yom Kippur based on how you interact, treat and judge other people.

.

It isn't beneath G-d to personally interfere in the workings of this world, to liberate a persecuted nation from the hand of their oppressors.

I have wanted to tell this story for a while. There are experiences in life that help us find our soul, the candle of God within us. This was such an experience. It is a true story about the eternal flame of the Jewish soul - with a Chanukah message.

Sukkot Sameach!