Who Are the Four Sons at Your Seder Table?
On Pesach, matza is the bread of being taken out of Egypt; in Vayikra, matza is the bread of coming close to God. The same simple, unleavened bread quietly holds […]
How do I kasher a glass stovetop for Passover
Almost all electric and induction stovetops today are made from glass. How can I kasher this for Passover? Glass can be kashered easily by washing it with soap and water […]
The Fragrance of Avodah: Re-aḥ Niḥoaḥ La‑Adonai
I have always been fascinated by the phrase רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לַיהוָה , “a pleasing odor to God” which appears for the first time in our parasha (Leviticus 1:9). The phrase […]
Pour Out Your Rage? Reading Shfokh Hamatkha Without Turning It into a Weapon
Each year at the seder, just when the mood should be moving steadily toward gratitude and praise, we do something strange. We pour the fourth cup of wine, open […]
From Golden Calf to Golden Miskan
Just a few chapters before Vayakhel–Pekudei, the Israelites commit one of the most shocking sins in the Torah: the Golden Calf. Fresh from hearing “You shall have no other gods […]
Before Ha Lachma Anya: The Journey Into Passover
If Passover itself is built on the number four, then the weeks leading up to it are built on lists. Shopping lists, cleaning lists, guest lists, menus scribbled in […]
Two Cows, Two Paths: From Golden Calf to Red Heifer
This week’s parasha, Ki Tissa, brings us face to face with one of the lowest points in our history: the sin of the Golden Calf. At the very same […]
The Evolution of Passover and the Haggadah
Passover is a holiday centered around the number four. Four cups of wine, four questions, four sons, and more. The number four appears repeatedly in the Haggadah. Because of […]
Shabbat Zachor and the Shadow of Iran
On Shabbat Zachor, we read a short but powerful passage about Amalek: “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt—how he happened upon you on […]
May I recite Mourners Kaddish for my father on days other than his yahrtzeit?
Question I was always taught that Mourners Kaddish should only be recited for immediate family. In the last several years I’ve seen all people stand and recite Kaddish. When […]