Judaism

‘What can a person do against the trend of the times!’” A question in every generation. Compromise at home is good; compromise in Torah is not. Knowing the difference will bring the final ge’ulah.

When a Jew realizes his exalted inner essence, he becomes infused with joy at being a Jew, a member of G-d’s chosen people privileged to carry out His great plan for the world, so that every mitzvah becomes a joyous act.

A few years ago, I realized something that changed the way I look at Tisha B’Av and while I can’t say I look forward to Tisha B’Av I started to focus on what I call “The Tisha B’Av of Today”. I focus on the national tragedies of what is happening right now – and what I can do to prevent them from continuing.

Many of the commentators find a disturbingly strong rationale in the Jews’ complaint mentioned above. The complainers were essentially blaming Moshe for setting up a murderous trap for the two hundred and fifty men that contested the choice of Aharon and his sons as priests.

QUESTION: Is one allowed to publish Torah discussions in any language other than in the original Hebrew?A ReaderWilkes Barre, PA

It was Mordechai's pivotal decision not to bow or budge before Haman that catapulted the Jews into a situation of possible annihilation, and it was he who commanded Esther, his own wife, to risk her life to save her people.

Question: I have numerous questions about Kiddush Levanah. First, why is this prayer called Kiddush Levanah? Shouldn’t it be called Chiddush Levanah considering that the prayer concerns the renewal – not the sanctification – of the moon? Second, why do we greet each other with the words Shalom Aleichem at Kiddush Levanah and why do we repeat the greeting three times? Is it because we have not seen a new moon for a whole month? Third, why does Kiddush Levanah – and other prayers – contain verses (aside from the Shalom Aleichem greeting) that we are supposed to say three times? Please elaborate on this mitzvah. Ira Warshansky (Via E-Mail)

Jabotinsky’s story is said to be adapted to the psychology of four typical children.

Is following sports a waste of time or harmless pleasure?

Who then were Esau and Jacob? What did they represent and how is this relevant to Yom Kippur and atonement?

It’s more important for me not to disappoint a fellow Jew.

Once we understand the concept of time, and the distinct opportunity and importance of tapping into the unique theme of each point of time in the systematic process of ascension, we must delve into the specific theme that Shavuos presents.

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.

What are the main changes when Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbat or Sunday?

He reread it time and time again, but finally decided he’d just have to accept that he didn’t understand it and move on.

Indeed, we are sympathetic to the creative, original, strong, rebellious heroes who did not accept the status quo, who followed the rebellious artists Delacroix and Courbet, and forged their own path forward. We benefit from them to this day, as a visit to art museums in cities around the world will demonstrate.

This is not the first Pesach Seder mentioned in the Torah; that was when the three angels visited Avraham and he instructed Sarah to make matzos.

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Could it be she wished to tell you that nowadays many men can be superficial in their search for a life partner, looking for a “glamour girl” rather than an aishes chayil? Could it be she tried to tell you it would be wise for you to be more flexible, more open-minded, and not lock yourself into limiting your options to just a certain “type”?

Rashi tells us that after the Torah described the life of Eisav in an abbreviated manner, it then told over the events of the life of Yaakov in full detail. The reason for this is that Yaakov and what occurred to him are important in the eyes of Hashem, whereas Eisav and his life aren’t. So too, Rashi explains, we find with the ten generations from Adam to Noach. Each individual gets a mere mention until we get to the life of Noach. Then the Torah elaborates in full detail.

The practice to wait until tzeit ha'kochavim has no basis in Chazal or Rishonim.

The three weeks period between the 17 of Tammuz and Tisha b’Av, besides being a time to remember and mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash in Yerushalayim, is a very special time to focus on love. The spiritual root cause of the churban and all the other tragedies of Jewish history that resulted from it was sinas chinam, disliking and hating each other for no good reason. So it only makes sense that the way to remedy this is to go out of our way, especially during these three weeks, to try to like and love each other -- even for no good reason.

Question: If Abraham was commanded to circumcise his descendants on the eighth day, why do Arabs – who claim to descend from Abraham through Yishmael – wait until their children are 13 to circumcise them? I am aware that this is a matter of little consequence to our people. Nevertheless, this inconsistency is one that piques my curiosity. M. Goldman (Via E-mail)

It’s prohibited to destroy even part of G-d's sacred name. Thus, one cannot usually cut between the letters of G-d's name in a siddur or Chumash.

For the past number of decades there has been much religious tolerance and Jews have been able to serve their religion without fear, for the most part.

We must understand the power and impact of our actions.

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Should you read the Rambam’s Guide for the Perplexed if you aren’t perplexed?

1. Rosh Hashanah (“the beginning of the year” in Hebrew), the Jewish New Year (5,779), is celebrated on the first day of the Jewish...

Living in Staten Island provides us with a certain type of suburban living that is enjoyed and appreciated by most, if not all. We have less congestion of cars, easier parking and more camaraderie, as there are less people than in the other boroughs. We have no alternate parking, and it’s easier to park in all shopping areas. The rabbis know each person individually, and are very familiar with their families and life histories. This is not an advertisement for our neighborhood; it’s simply background to my story.