Redeeming Relevance: Parshat Tzav: A Misplaced Parsha?
Vayikra, unlike Shemot, is not really about revelation. It's about the daily struggle to raise man above his own physicality.
Purim – the Festival of Masks
The entire Book of Esther's a story of masks-Esther, Mordechai, and Haman-even God-conceal something
Purim and the Advantage of a Permanent Job
Purim gives us a framework to understand our lives and remain optimistic in the midst of all the darkness
Do Hold Your Breath
Purim's lesson, relevant today & always, is about our belief that God is always present in our lives
Think Inside The Box
It's nice to step back and appreciate the mitzvah in a fresh and minimalist way.
Proud Witness
"You are my witnesses, says the Lord. I am G-d."
Tefillah: A Meeting With Hashem – Trust Him!
It helps us live with the reality that what we do have comes from His never-ending kindness.
Daf Yomi
She Ate Unwittingly
‘If She Married A Kohen She Eats Terumah’
(Kiddushin 10b)
Finding Clara
We were pleasantly surprised, just after my wife lit the Shabbos candles, when Sonja’s face lit up and she exclaimed, “I remember my mother doing that!”
Half-Price Discount
"But when you buy two items, each one costs less," reasoned Mrs. Simcha. "How can you say that Mr. Sasson's was full cost and ours half-price?!"
Q & A: Purim Se’udah At Night?
Question: Taking into account the fact that one might have to travel on Purim day, may one make one’s Purim se’udah on Purim eve?
No Name Please
The Grass Is Greener (Gittin 88b)
According to the Shach, the prohibition against erka’ot akum does not apply when Jewish litigants agree to litigate in front of a named non-Jewish judge.
Purim And The Joy Of Life
Magazine estimates that during this time his wealth increased at the rate of a million dollars an hour.
The Mitzvos In Parshas Zachor
This is the parshah we read on Purim morning, before we read the Megillah. Therefore, if a person missed Parshas Zachor, he can make it up for it on Purim with the leining of parshas Vayavo Amalek.
‘Not The Horse I Wanted’
“Noch azoy ah churbon"--after such slaughter (the Holocaust) we must kiss every living Jew and embrace him with love”
“Why Is My Child Not Being Accepted?”
“Isn’t there an obligation upon the Jewish community to accept a day school graduate because of the mere fact that he is a product of a Jewish Hebrew day school?”
Redeeming Relevance: Parshat Vayikra: Torat Kohanim and the Torah on One Foot
Vayikra, the Torah’s middle book, gives the critical light to the Torah's other books around it.
Vayikra: How To Read the Book of Vayikra
Aleph Beta helps us learn how to read the perplexing book of Leviticus.
The Curse of Fluency
The quality of our prayers may have to take precedence over quantity, some may no longer work for us
No Late Lions In The Temple
When a lion roars, who is not afraid?
Guard Your Influence (IV)
At its worst, nearly 200,000 'fare-beaters' daily entered NY City's transit system without paying
Q & A: Amen (Part X)
What is the exact meaning of amen and where does the word come from?
David H.
(Via E-Mail)
Daf Yomi
Filling In The Blanks
‘Esrog Similar To A Tree In Three Ways…’
(Kiddushin 2b-3a)
Mixed Money
"Similarly, aside from the amount that is certain, you don't know whether anything more was put in the container." (C.M. 75:9)
Columbus Discovered America – Hashem Invented It
Frank didn’t create the process; he doesn’t even know which ingredients go into the mixture.
Good Intentions
A person is only rewarded for listening to Hashem’s command if he does so with the intention to do so.
Five Minutes
The fact that I was in a hurry made me think I should just take the card from him and open it for him.
On The Move
Like our bodies, our souls were not made for sitting still. We were made for moving, learning, searching, striving, growing
