Judaism

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Not only is eating melavah malkah a great mitzvah, there are "instant rewards"!

Since our faith teaches that every person has a soul mate – bashert – designated by Heaven, how is it that so many cannot find their partners?

Question: Is it proper for a synagogue to establish a policy that no one is to donate money for receiving an aliyah to the Torah?

Although the Torah often points out the infinite value of every human life, this week's parshah gives a clear message about the value of Jewish life. We are told that no one will be permitted to murder Jews with impunity.

Hashem’s kindness is limitless, and even when He administers judgment, it is tempered with kindness.

If you yourself may not perform a melachah, you may not ask a non-Jew to perform it for you. This is true both for biblically prohibited acts, melachot de’oreita, and rabinically prohibited acts, melachot de’rabbanan. This applies even if the non-Jew was instructed before Shabbat to perform the melachah on Shabbat.

At the time of Megillas Rus, the Yovel – Jubilee year – was in force, replied Rabbi Dayan. If a person sold a field that was his sedei achuza – ancestral heritage from when the Land of Israel was first divided – it would return to him in Yovel.

Some people make the blessing over the candles in the sukkah and then bring the candles into the house to avoid the danger of fire. This is a non-kosher practice, however.

The deception has taken place. Joseph has been sold into slavery. His brothers have dipped his coat in blood. They bring it back to their father, saying: “Look what we have found. Do you recognize it? Is this your son’s robe or not?” Jacob recognized it and replied, “It is my son’s robe. A wild beast has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces.”

Sometimes you are having a bad day. Nothing seems to be going as you expected. And then you see someone at work or school who needs help with something and you help them out.

As characters participating in one of history’s most incredible chapters, we focus our efforts on the specific challenges facing our generation.

Because it is a tried and true favorite, I decided to shake up the recipe a bit to create a healthier and more festive Chanukah feel.

It is clear that Tosafos maintains that only someone who lives in a house must light Chanukah candles.

Children need a strong environment, conducive to their development as Jews, while at the same time their Jewish education must provide them with so much pride that later in life they will be able to deal with the outside world as well and still be fully committed Jews.

Bilam’s advice was that Amalek stood no chance against the spiritually strong in Am Yisrael, but they did have a faint possibility to inflict damage on those in Am Yisrael who were spiritually weak.

K’vod Ha’brios ‘Excluding Where He Was Preoccupied’ (Shavuos 18b-19a)

These PETA people are not Orthodox Jews. So, why would they so strongly criticize a kosher packing plant for what they believe to be violations of kosher practice? They are using tactics similar to the Nazis.

Rabbi Dayan said, To replace the juice from the mini-bar with a bottle from the store would be cheating the hotel.

We should not need gifts from flesh and blood or their loans, unless we realize that they are really coming from Hashem’s hand which is full, open, holy and bountiful.

Many of the so-called Western world leaders can also stand in for the false and power-hungry king who had no scruples about participating in the annihilation of millions of Jews.

Question: My custom is not to don tefillin on Chol HaMoed. What should I do if I go to a shul that has the opposite custom? M. Jakobowitz

Friday night corresponds to Shabbos Bereishis – therefore we discuss the creation. Shabbos morning corresponds to the Shabbos when we received the Torah, so in Shachris we mention that. And finally, Shabbos afternoon corresponds to the Shabbos of the World to Come, so in Mincha we talk about the Oneness of Hashem, which will be clearly revealed at that time.

What does the parsha teach us about the nature of heritage?

Mr. Chovel interjected, "But beis din is not halachically authorized nowadays to adjudicate cases of bodily injury!"

Mrs. Simon had been teaching for seven years at a girls’ elementary school. The school had expanded rapidly during the previous decade as the local Jewish community grew. Each grade boasted four parallel classes.

Hashem appeared to Noach and told him the world had turned to wicked ways and was to be destroyed by a deluge. Hashem commanded Noach to build a teivah, an ark, so that he and his family would be saved.

Based on my historical research of leadership I believe there is what I refer to as the leadership paradox. In essence it claims that we should have more confidence in leaders who possess self-doubt.

Dear Rebbetzin Jungreis: I discovered your book, The Committed Life and I must tell you that it changed my own life. I come from an atheistic background and never gave Judaism a second thought until a Christian friend bought me your book as a gift. Since reading it, I have embarked on a quest to find out more. I guess I'm still not totally observant, but I am definitely heading in that direction. Most recently, I read your new book, The Committed Marriage, and that was an amazing experience. I only wish that I lived in New York City so that I could come to your classes and study with you. In any event, thank you for writing and sharing so much wisdom with us.

Rabbeinu Yonah explains that, in addition to our own conditioning (goreret), when we perform a mitzvah, Hashem rewards us (gives sechar) by strengthening our efforts.