As we prepare for the month of Elul and the approaching Yamim Nora'im/Days of Awe, we grapple with a perpetual paradox that has troubled...

As Napoleon Bonaparte walked through the streets of Paris, the sounds of crying and mourning emanated from within a synagogue. It was...

Tisha B’Av 5783/2023 is on Wednesday, July 26 & Thursday, July 27 1. Eating and drinking is not allowed for all over the ages of bar/bat...

The three weeks leading up to Tisha B’Av are a period of national Jewish mourning, beginning on the 17th of Tammuz (which falls on Thu,...

The time read 09:00:46 on September 23rd, 1999, and after almost 10 months of blazing through space, the Mars Climate Orbiter finally...

In this second section of the Halachos of Kiddush we will address the following questions: How to hold the cup? What is the best way to...

One of the most beautiful scenes is the family gathering around the table on Friday night for Kiddush. Likewise, the Kiddush on Shabbos...

In this article we will discuss the obligation to eat meals on Shabbos, the proper meal times, using two loaves of bread, which foods to...

Scientists have yet to explain the phenomenon known as 'Semantic satiation'. Oxford dictionary defines this as 'a peculiar sense of loss...

WHY: THE SOURCE OF THE CUSTOM There is a widespread minhag (custom) to eat dairy foods on Shavuos (Remah OC 494:3). In a previous responsa...

From the age of 4 weeks old, identical twins Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were raised apart. Yet fascinatingly, when they were finally...

INTRODUCTION: THE OBLIGATION TO BE HAPPY ON YOM TOV All Jewish adults are biblically obligated to be happy throughout the three...

INTRODUCTION The Mishna (Shabbos 17b) records a dispute between Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai regarding whether one can leave materials in...

NOTE: The laws of warming food on Shabbos are numerous and complex with a variety of opinions. This brief overview is merely a summary of...

On Shavuot, we celebrate the giving of the Torah which changed the spiritual status of our nation. We know that prior, our forefathers...

The General Guidelines: The Kaddish can only be recited in the presence of a minyan (quorum of ten Jewish males over age thirteen)...

There’s the joke of the agricultural inspector who goes out to a farm to do inspections. He calls out in the yard upon his arrival, but...

Why should I put Mezuzos? Primarily because we are commanded to, as the Passuk in Devarim 6:9 states 'וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ...

May one wear a smartwatch on Shabbos and Yom Tov? Obviously, when touching the screen or buttons, as with all electronics, this falls...

I have done the math and I think we have all been celebrating the Seder nights at the wrong time! If we travel back 3335 years to the...