When Does the Passover Story End?
Our retelling of the Exodus on Passover ends when we close the Haggadah text. But when did the story really end?
View ArticleBe Like Esau
Dear Friend, As this week’s Torah portion unfolds, all the signs point towards a disastrous confrontation. After twenty years in Charan, Jacob returned to the Holy Land to find a still-furious Esau...
View ArticleGive the Gift of Love
Dear Friend, Weeks before Purim, the holiday spirit fills my home, as bits and pieces of costumes come on and off my children; Purim tunes fill the air; and the little voices beg for just one more...
View ArticleMy Most Memorable Simchat Torah. Ever.
Dear Friend, On Simchat Torah, I usually put on comfortable shoes for hours of dancing and lively festivities. My most memorable Simchat Torah, though, was spent in a quiet hospital room. In the wee...
View ArticleIf Fire and Ice Can Make Peace . . .
Dear Friend, Winter has made its appearance in this part of the world. My office window frames a breathtaking landscape of falling snowflakes, pounding rain, and tiny hailstones that ping sharply as...
View ArticleFreedom in the Darkest Times
Dear Friend, A recent coffee break found me rereading some of my favorite Passover stories. I read of Passovers celebrated during the Holocaust, in the Siberian Gulag, and in dim cellars during the...
View ArticleFeasting on a Fast Day
Dear Friend, This Shabbat is the 17th of Tammuz, a tragic day in Jewish history, and the start of a three-week period of mourning for the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples. The day is...
View ArticlePray for a Friend
Dear Friend, They say that the best way to learn is to teach. My second-grade students and I have been studying the lives of Abraham and Sarah, and the stories have taken on a new significance to me as...
View ArticleThe Two Lights
Dear Friend, Bundled into his coat and hat, backpack at his side, my son would sit beside me each morning, waiting for the school bus to arrive. During those precious snatched moments, I would read to...
View ArticleWhat's Up With Orthodox Men and Women and the Handshake?
My family and I met with an Orthodox rabbi and his wife the other day. I noticed that the rabbi shook hands with me but not with my wife, and that his wife shook hands with my wife, but not with me....
View ArticleWhy is Rosh Hashanah considered the Jewish New Year?
What actually occurred on the first Rosh Hashanah, more than 5700 years ago? What are we commemorating?
View ArticleWhat are the Hebrew letters on a Jewish headstone?
Rochel Question: I was told that there is supposed to be some Hebrew letters on a memorial grave marker/headstone. We are planning a headstone for my deceased mother; can you help me with this? Answer:...
View ArticleWhy Do Some Give a Coin to a Traveler?
Rochel Question: Why is it that Jews give a coin to someone who is traveling? Is the traveler supposed to return the coin when they return? Answer: Our sages tell us "An emissary to do a mitzvah isn't...
View ArticleAre we to honor Jerusalem by keeping Shabbat according to her time?
Rochel Question: Does the Torah discuss or allude to the fact that the Shabbat is to be kept according to Jerusalem time or should it be kept according to one's local time? Are we to honor Jerusalem by...
View ArticleWhat Is “Kosher Salt”?
What makes salt kosher? What’s the difference between “kosher salt” and regular table salt?
View ArticleWhat Is Gefilte Fish?
“Gefilte fish” is fish prepared in a certain manner, a dish traditionally enjoyed by Ashkenazi Jews on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Before discussing gefilte fish, let’s first take a moment to discuss...
View ArticleIs blood transfusion permissible in Jewish belief?
There is nothing in Jewish law that would preclude a person from benefiting from a blood transfusion (or donating blood, for that matter). Furthermore, according to Jewish belief, saving a life is one...
View ArticleIs Human Breast Milk Dairy?
Human milk is not included in the prohibition of mixing meat and (animal) milk, and would therefore fall into the category of "pareve." The rabbis, however, taught us that we shouldn't mix mother's...
View ArticleWhat was Ruth's ancestry?
Ruth of biblical fame was originally a Moabite princess. She later converted to Judaism and was the ancestress of King David, and ultimately, the Messiah. The Torah is not a historical record; it only...
View ArticleWhen do we take out three Torah scrolls from the Ark?
Every year on the holiday of Simchat Torah, three different portions of the Torah are read during the morning service. a) V'zot Haberacha, the last portion of the Torah; b) the holiday maftir reading,...
View ArticleWhat was the purpose of "keeping" the Paschal lamb for four days?
Question: What was the purpose of each household "keeping" the Paschal lamb for four days, from Nissan 10-14, before it was sacrificed? Answer: Moses instructed the Jewish people about the details of...
View ArticleAre dried fruits and kosher ice cream kosher for Passover?
Question: I am a student at university living in a dormitory, and I am starting to prepare for Passover. Are dried fruits, such as dried mangoes, cranberries, etc., kosher for Passover? Also, can I...
View ArticleCan I serve roast chicken at the seder?
Question: Someone mentioned to me that we don't eat roast chicken by the seder meal. Is this correct? And if so, what is the reason for this injunction? Answer: In the times of the Holy Temple, the...
View ArticleWhat is the Meaning of the Name "Jew"?
Abraham, commonly referred to as "The First Jew," epitomized "Jewishness" many centuries before the term came into common use
View ArticleWhy Do Jews Send Mishloach Manot (Purim Baskets)? - The source of the Purim...
When we are united, we merit G‑d's blessing and salvation. We give gifts of food on Purim to strengthen our bonds of friendship with our fellow Jews...
View ArticleHow did Naomi's sons marry non-Jewish Moabite women?
Question: How was it that Naomi's two sons married non-Jewish Moabite women? From what I've read, it seems that Ruth only converted to Judaism after her husband died. Answer: The biblical commentaries...
View ArticleWhy were the Levites chosen to be G‑d’s special ministers?
Originally, the firstborn sons were to have been the priests of the Jewish nation, who would serve in the Tabernacle and in the Temple and be the spiritual leaders. When G‑d spared the Jewish...
View ArticleAre Mushrooms Kosher?
Yes, mushrooms are kosher. A mushroom is a fungus, and in general, natural fungi are kosher. Since bugs are not kosher, you should make sure that your mushrooms aren't infested with insects before...
View ArticleWhy Is Honey Kosher?
The rabbis of the Talmud discuss this question.Bechorot 7b The Mishnah states "that which comes from something which is not kosher is not kosher, and that which comes from something which is kosher is...
View ArticleCan a woman blow the shofar?
Blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) is a mitzvah (a commandment.) Women are not obligated in time-bound positive mitzvot, because of their overriding family responsibilities....
View ArticleAt what age should a child stop nursing?
I do not know of a recommended age for weaning. There are many factors involved, so one size can't fit all. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently (2005) recommends: "Pediatricians and parents...
View ArticleIs Chanukah Mentioned in the Torah?
Chanukah is not specifically mentioned, since the story happened after the Torah was written. Nevertheless, G‑d, who is above the limitations of time, included in the Torah allusions to Chanukah.
View ArticleWhy the Open Hands at Ashrei?
Question: Why do some people open their hands during the Ashrei prayer? Answer: According to the Talmud Berachot 4b., this prayer is recited three times every day partly because it contains the verse...
View ArticleWhich blessing is said upon seeing a rainbow?
After the flood, G‑d promised Noah that He would never again bring a flood that would destroy the world. A rainbow is a reminder of this covenant that G‑d made with Noah, his descendants, and all...
View ArticleOn what date was Joseph released from prison?
According to the Talmud, Pharaoh's dreams and the release of Joseph from prison occurred on Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the year. On that day, G‑d determines the fate of the world...
View ArticleWhy didn't Joseph notify Jacob that he was still alive?
This question has troubled many of the biblical commentaries. How could Joseph have allowed his father to mourn him for so long? Why didn't he let Jacob know that he was alive? Egypt is not so far...
View ArticleI'm a Slander Victim!
Question: I am a victim of slander. A woman at my office has been saying things about me that make me look bad. I thought that she was my friend, and I am shocked that she would talk about me in such a...
View ArticleWho is the “Conductor” in the Psalms?
Many psalms start with the phrase “For the Conductor.” Is that a reference to G‑d? If not, what does it refer to?
View ArticleWhy Do We Whisper Baruch Shem in Shema?
What is the source for it? Why do we add it to one of the most fundamental Jewish prayers, and why do we say it quietly?
View ArticleWhy Mention that Ehud Was A Lefty?
In Judges the verse (3:15) says that Ehud was left handed. Why was that point brought out in the scriptures?
View ArticleWhy Did Lot's Wife Turn into Salt?
Hi, I’m stymied by the story in Genesis where Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt. Can you please explain it to me? Answer: The inhabitants of Sodom were known for their cruelty to strangers. In...
View ArticleHow Can I Repair Our Family?
We keep a Kosher home and are very active in our local synagogue. Our oldest child is married to a Catholic, our middle is mildly interested in Judaism and our youngest has absolutely no interest. How...
View ArticleDid Jacob Ever Discover What the Brothers Did to Joseph?
Did Joseph’s brother’s ever own up to their father about the crime they committed against their younger brother?
View ArticleCan I Send “Mishloach Manot” Purim Food Gifts by Mail?
If I know someone is going to be away from their community for business over the holiday of Purim, is it appropriate to send the Purim gifts of food by mail?
View ArticleWhen is the Jewish Month of Aviv?
I read in the verse that Passover is in the, “…month of Aviv.” But I cannot seem to find it in the Jewish calendar. When is the Jewish month of Aviv?
View Article
