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Apr 17

State of Timelessness!

In the beginning of the recital of the Hagadah we reveal the Matzos and say, ‘Ha Lachma Ania.’ We refer to the Matzah as the symbol of our slavery and affliction, because Matzah was consumed by our ancestors in Egypt during their enslavement since it takes less time to bake and takes longer to digest …

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Mar 20

Body and the Soul!

The Hebrew calendar is set up in such a way that the Holiday of Purim – the 14th day of Adar – cannot coincide with Shabbos. However even if Purim would fall on Shabbos – which in fact does happen even today in a walled city like Jerusalem which celebrates Purim a day later on …

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Dec 05

Willpower!

Although the Torah – G-d’s eternal Law book that consists of the five Books of Moshe – was completed 3290 years ago when our leader Moshe passed away a month before the Jews entered the land of Israel, the Talmud finds hints in the Torah to the names of Esther, Mordechai, and Haman of the …

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Sep 27

Stay With Me!

During the Holiday of Succos we observe and experience many Mitzvos while in a state of happiness; the Succah, the four species, the recitation of Hallel. During the time when the Temple in Jerusalem was functioning, there was a great celebration on each night of Succos accompanied by music, dancing and singing. This took place …

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Sep 20

A Beautiful Fruit!

The Holiday of Succos, almost immediately following the days of awe, is a joyous time. We feel a sense of confidence and relief now that we have been cleansed and forgiven for our sins. To express this feeling of joy, the Torah commands us to take the four species, an Esrog (citron), Lulav (palm branch), …

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Sep 13

Keep Focused!

Jonathan Rosenbloom brought out the following point in an article he wrote in the wake of the September 11th attacks: The coming of Moshiach is a fundamental belief of Judaism. But even one whose belief is firm might find it difficult to imagine how his coming will unfold, and how all people and nations will …

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Sep 06

Let’s Talk About Love!

I was studying the laws of the Kohanim when they ascend the Duchan to bless the congregation, when I saw a quote from the Zohar that struck me. Before proclaiming the fifteen words of blessings to the congregation, the Kohanim recite a blessing that ends with, “You commanded us to bless the congregation with love.” …

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Sep 28

Passover 5771

What Makes this Shabbos so Great At our Seders we recount the ten plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians and while doing so, we traditionally pour off some wine from our cups. A phenomenal feature of the plagues is that it never affected, disturbed or came upon any of the Jews! However, the last …

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Sep 28

Passover 5772 Reliving the Experience Part 1

Passover 5772 Reliving the Experience During the recitation of the Hagaddah at the Passover Seder, we come across a remarkable description of the slaying of the firstborn, which was the final plague. The Hagadah quotes verses from the Torah regarding the plague and then explains. “And I (G-d) passed through the Land of Egypt on …

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Sep 28

Last days of Passover 5772: Freedom in a Flash-Part 2

Last days of Passover 5772: Freedom in a Flash We are all familiar with the four questions asked at the Seder that begin with the words, “Mah Nishtanah – Why is this night different than other nights of the year.” What is puzzling is that the Hagaddah does not answer all the questions. It explains …

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