Judaism

As I was crying I picked up the phone and called my daughter, I told her that I think I stopped believing and once again I started to cry.

On this Night of Heritage, when we have the opportunity to etch the fundamentals of our faith into our children and grandchildren’s memory banks, it behooves us to spend time in preparation for this monumental task.

In Judaism, monarchy had little or no religious function.

I’d like to offer a mighty challenge. The next time you go to shul to pray, tell yourself that you’re planning to use your mind as much as your mouth in the synagogue – for proper service of Hashem has more to do with the mind and the heart than with the mouth.

We should remember not only the difficult moments of life but also the blessings we too often take for granted.

"But you have all our credit card details from when we paid for the car.”

Even more curious is the latter part of the Midrash – to prevent becoming afflicted with the nega’im, what should one do? Eat, drink and be happy! Have a continual party – that is the remedy!

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When in the history of the world did all of the nations of the world ever claim that we stole Eretz Yisrael?

Perhaps, just perhaps, we can relate to this: whenever we feel distant from Hashem, that is the Churban.

A large percentage of us regrettably neglect the fifth commandment; honoring our parents. Due to the frenetic pace of modern life, this obligation is often woefully shunted to the side.

Of even greater significance, once the miraglim made their mistake and concluded that Hashem wasn’t powerful enough to bring the people into the land, what they then spoke wasn’t lashon hara at all

27 years ago, on the 4th day of Adar Sheni, Menachem Begin passed away. Here are 3 enduring messages from his legacy.

Question: Why is there an extra month in the Jewish calendar every few years? And who decides whether a particular year should be a leap year or not? Name Withheld Toronto, Ontario

Question: I understand that at a minyan, the chazzan is required to repeat Shemoneh Esreh out loud so that people who may not know how to daven can fulfill their obligation to daven with the chazzan’s repetition. What, however, should the chazzan do when he reaches Kedushah and Modim? I hear some chazzanim say every word of Kedushah out loud and some only say the last part of the middle two phrases out loud. As far as the congregation is concerned, I hear some congregants say every word of Kedushah and some say only the last part. Finally, some chazzanim and congregants say Modim during chazaras hashatz out loud and some say it quietly. What is the source for these various practices? A Devoted Reader (Via E-Mail)

What is interesting is that many feel that as much as they try to improve their tefillah they are not seeing the amount of progress they would have expected.

Menachem jumped into the car and went to the bagel store. He forgot about the sefer he had left outside.

"My son dressed up as a lion last year," exclaimed Mrs. Kahn. "We bought this great costume. It was so realistic!"

We know that we're living for something higher. We know that there is a king and that is Hashem. We know that He's looking down on us all the time and He wants us to go in the right direction.

My quest for knowledge became life-changing. Like a bat (I didn’t mind the negativity associated with the flying mammals – I’m short-sighted anyway so there was a ring of truth to the simile), I honed in on the answers I’d been searching for.

It's a critical point.

Question: Isn’t the father in serious violation of the Torah by neglecting his children and not making any effort to provide them an education? Name Withheld Via E-mail

Tefillah is central to our identity. It is an essential reflection of the human soul and part of what characterizes man as distinct from animal. Hashem provides for the whole world; only man appreciates and prays for it.

Her Children, Her Whim ‘Kesubas Bnin Dichrin’ (Kesubos 52b)

Forever After? ‘Obligated for Challah and Not Terumah’ (Kesubos 25a)

Question: When reciting a berachah in English, does a person fulfill his obligation if he says “Hashem” instead of “L-rd” or “G-d”? Yosef

One might say that the menorah and the ketoret were temidin, while the lechem hapanim was only switched once a week, on Shabbat. However, although it was only switched once a week, the lechem hapanim was on the shulchan every day, a korban in itself, a repeating miracle that occurred each day anew.

The twenty-fifth makes her remember, Because it's Kislev - not December. She almost fell, like Hellenists of old. The twenty-fifth makes her remember, Because it's Kislev - not December. Once she, too, chose tinsel, not the gold.

Balak was furious. Balaam was defeated in his mind by a greater prophet, Moses, who would record Balaam's words and shame for eternity, despite not being present at the performances. Rather than perform his blessings or curses, Balaam projected a picture of the future with his ideas in it; he offers his vision of the End of Days (14) with all his hints to Israel's future failings hidden within his words of praise.

If Pesach is immediately followed by Acharei Mot that focuses on Yom Kippur, there must be a good reason for it.