Judaism

A mourner whose hair grows long as a result of the prohibition against taking a haircut, or one who decides to become a nazir, is excused from any halachic concerns related to long hair or chatzitza.

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The conception of beauty was a fundamental point of contention in the battle between the Jewish People and the Greeks. The Greeks did not believe in using the physical to reflect anything higher; they viewed physical beauty as an end unto itself.

In light of the war in Israel and antisemitism rising worldwide, we must make every effort to broadcast our Judaism proudly in the public square and to communicate to the world at large that we will not be intimidated into hiding our religion or religious practices.

During these times we have the ability, the power, and the energy to see and merit the miracles that Hashem did back then during the miraculous stories of the Maccabees, unto our very days today.

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Wishing all a Happy Hanukah!

The volunteering spirit overcame his hesitations, and he left his unfinished job to answer the call for help. Danny was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at the scene of the vehicle on the side of the road. It was a Hatzalah ambulance that had conked out!

Even if I said then that it would be okay, that was to placate you, so long as it didn’t make a difference, but it doesn’t grant you rights beyond the contract when I need you at 9.

Honoring A Father’s Wishes ‘ He shall give it to whom he has trespassed.’ (Bava Kamma 40b)

When Tamar's life was threatened, she did not save herself by throwing Yehuda "under the bus".

Question: My husband and I are Ashkenazi, yet my children go to school with Sefardim. My son came home and said that only my husband is to light the Chanukah candles. In my parent’s home, we all lit our own candles on Chanukah to celebrate the great miracle that saved our people for all future generations. Who is correct? Name Withheld Via E-Mail

.Shabbat Shalom

Torah teaches us that time is extremely precious, and every moment must be used to its fullest advantage. Why then do we use time to repeat things already known?

The lighting of the menorah was one mitzvah among many mitzvot, arguably not even the most important mitzvah, that had come to be neglected under the oppression of the Seleucid Greeks.

We can say Modim for our health. What about for our car and for our phone? Most of us would be crippled, so to speak, if we were missing just one of these. We could also incorporate into our Modim prayer that we are able to pay the mortgage or pay the rent.

As internal conflict over the Hebrew clan's direction leads to tragic consequences for Yosef and Yehuda, each must discover his own messianic potential.

Unfortunately today we find ourselves embroiled in a milchemet mitzvah, a national security situation which threatens our very existence and demands everyone’s participation.

To become fully alive a person must have goals and aims that transcend himself. -Herbert A. Otto

In the end Joseph and his brothers had to live through real trauma before they were able to recognize one another’s humanity, and much of the rest of their story – the longest single narrative in the Torah – is about just that.

The potency of a mitzvah lies in the individual’s optimal and enthusiastic execution of the mitzvah with all the proper kavanos (intentions), including mastery of the laws pertaining to this particular mitzvah, and consummating the mitzvah to fulfill the will of Hashem.

Do "clothes make the woman"?

Before one prays, one must prepare for the experience. There must be a meditative time in which the individual focuses on the significance of the act that he is about to perform.

One excellent way to combat cognitive bias in relationship communication is to constantly work on not jumping to conclusions. No matter what we think we hear, or what we believe we know, we should be careful to ask for clarification before reacting.

The prophet Zecharia foretells of the Messianic Era – which will occur long after the Canaanites had ceased to exist as a nation – when there will no longer be any c’naani in the Holy Temple (Zecharia 14:21).

The rules of the dreidel game require each player to contribute some coins to a central fund, the proceeds of which are used to pay out the winners.

In essence the manner that we relate to tragic events is by empathizing with those who are affected as if it is us who are personally affected. This is called carrying the yoke of others upon ourselves.

We often choose to avoid confronting those who offend us. We are too hurt to speak it out, and doing so is uncomfortable. Unaddressed, though, our feelings fester and grow, and the hatred, distance, and demonization intensify.

To be honest there were many Shabbos mornings when I fell back to sleep without saying Kerias Shema, but it made a deep impression on me. Now, years later, I still try to be particular to say Shema before the earlier time.

How do we understand and perceive Hashem? Is Hashem within time and space, limited to this world alone, as Pantheists believe? Or is Hashem completely transcendent, beyond time, space, and this physical world, as many of the ancient philosophers believed?