Word Prompt

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Playfulness can turn the harshness of reality into something that is more manageable. It helps us to relax and regulate our nervous system which makes for better processing and coping.

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Interestingly, it is not one of the fruits for which the Torah praises the Land of Israel. So, it is no surprise that the custom of eating apples on Rosh Hashana did not originate in Israel but in France or Germany.

I could never be a nazir. I like to drink Moscato wine on Shabbat. And even though I love long hair, it is not flattering on me so I am forced to get a trim cut from time to time.

We no longer rely on these outward signs, like growing a beard, in the hope that others will treat us with respect; we've learned that respect is earned through action.

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Almost everyone “believes in” money, and even the “monetary atheists” who dream of returning to the gold-standard usually lead their lives as if money really exists.

Do publishing imprints and styles matter? Artscroll, Mesorah or Sha’ar? Koren, Maggid or Toby? Frum vs. academic publishers?

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Instead of the lofty goal of creating a Sanhedrin with the intent of creating consensus and unity, we could start the other way around. Start off with achdus, and a global movement to increase ahavas Yisrael among our people.

While on the subject, there is one other sanctuary that we are indeed all familiar with, although we never refer to it with this term. And that is the chuppah.

We may learn a new Rashi, hear a drasha that reveals a layer to a pasuk here and there, but overall we’ve seen this episode before. So why do we do it?

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During the Pesach Seder, we say that eight is the days until the baby’s bris. But there is something else which also has the significance of the number eight, and that is Shmini Atzeres.

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Whether good or bad, and Chazal have diverse opinions on the topic, the nazir is different. In truth, everyone is unique; we are each holy individuals at the core.

Thus has it ever been. Jews have been vilifying each other and attacking each other for thousands of years. What's new?

I am not unaware of my country's faults and weaknesses, but I continue to be proud and thankful that I live in America.

If a father teaches his children the laws of keeping Shabbos, it is the mother who teaches how to best experience and enjoy the Shabbos. It is our mothers and grandmothers who teach us how to feel, emote, and live Judaism.

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A dash of hope In the darkness of night Akiva, you have comforted us

There is something beautiful about being instantly, recognizably Jewish. I have traveled bearded to seven continents and met all kinds of people who see the beard, tzitzes, and yarmulka and want to learn more.

Now, when saying the words of King David I feel as if I have his personal protection.

According to Collins dictionary, a spy is a person employed to obtain secret information or a person who secretly watches others. The twelve men in Parshat Shlach (Bamidbar 13:2) were not spies.

It’s a German word, actually, and plenty of people know exactly what it means, though it means different things to Europeans and Americans.

For us, as we count down the days to Shavuot and the plethora of dairy we will be indulging in, let’s use our milchig food as a symbol to reconnect ourselves to Torah – and of course to Eretz HaKodesh, a land filled with milk and honey.

I overheard my daughter in the kitchen last week offering our contractors food and drinks from where she planned to order lunch. She was thrilled to report that they took her up on her offer and she could do a mitzvah.