This past summer we were at an ice cream shop with our grandchildren, and I asked my unbashful grandson Moshe if he would sing us a song. He got up on his chair and began singing loudly, “Pharoh in pajamas in the middle of the night.” As he was belting this out, we were further …
Category: Yom Tov Messages
Oct 05
Storyteller!
Every so often, a question posed to me is, why do we celebrate Simchas Torah – dancing with the Torah – on the Holiday of Shemini Atzeres? It would seem to be a more befitting time to celebrate with the Torah on the holiday of Shavuos, which marks the time when G-d gave us the …
Sep 28
Revealed!
- By Dovid Saks in 5784, Succos Message, Yom Tov Messages
The joyous holiday of Succos comes just five days after Yom Kippur, which is observed ten days after Rosh Hashana. There are three tractates of the Babylonian Talmud dedicated to these holidays. Tractate Rosh Hashana deals with the laws concerning Rosh Hashana, such as the Shofar and its sounds, the unique prayers, and how we …
Sep 21
High-Rise!
- By Dovid Saks in 5784, Yom Kippur Message
Let’s face it, the thought of Yom Kippur gives us a certain pit in our stomach. It’s not only the prospect of the hungry feeling that we’ll experience during the course of the day, it actually comes from our built in spiritual DNA that intuitively knows that Yom Kippur is a sacred day. Recently, in …
Sep 14
Apple & Honey!
- By Dovid Saks in 5784, Rosh Hashana Message
There is known custom to dip a sweet apple into honey during the first night meal of Rosh Hashana. A blessing of Ha’aitz is made over the apple before it is eaten and then the following prayer is recited, “May it be Your will, Hashem, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that You …
May 24
Creativity!
The special Holiday of Shavuos will envelop us on Thursday evening giving us an opportunity to bask in the holiness of the two days of the holiday with the added benefit of Shabbos as well. Shavuos represents the time when G-d gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai when He proclaimed the Ten Commandments in …
Apr 10
Wealth!
The last days of Pesach are observed on Wednesday and Thursday. The Torah calls it a day of holy calling. Three days after the Jews were freed from Egypt, Pharoh and his army chased after the Jews. When they caught up with the Jews, G-d protected the Jews by placing His cloud of glory between …
Mar 30
Lift Up!
As the Jews were getting ready to enter the Land of Israel, they were met with resistance from a few nations that hated them. The Torah tells us that Balak, the King of Moav, feared that the Jews would attack his nation, and hired Billam, a non-Jewish prophet, to use his powers to curse the …
Oct 13
Dance!
- By Dovid Saks in 5783, Shemini Atzeret
When I was around eleven years old I was horsing around and one of the things I did was to make fun of how an old man danced. My mistake was that while I was acting so, my father happened to have been watching. A bit later, he called me over and told me, “You …
Oct 06
Who is Watching!
- By Dovid Saks in 5783, Succos Message
My son Yehoshua and his family are currently living in Jerusalem. He arrived mid-summer and when he would drive outside of Jerusalem proper he could not help but notice that the fields were fallow. There was no growth, no vegetation, and no action in the fields, because the Jewish farmers were observing the Torah’s Mitzvah …
Jewish Heritage Connection
Rabbi Dovid Saks, Director
601 Jefferson Ave.
Scranton, PA 18510
(570) 346-1321
Shabbat Candle Lighting Time
Shabbat Times for Apr 19, 2024
Scranton, PA US
Parshas Metzora
Candle Lighting Time: 11:42 PM
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Scranton, PA US
Parshas Metzora
Candle Lighting Time: 11:42 PM
Developed by AdatoSystems.com.
Key features by Hebcal.com.