Parshat Devarim and Tisha B’av
Parshat Devarim Parshat Devarim opens the final book of the Torah with Moshe recounting the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. Notably, Moshe doesn’t merely retell the story—he interprets it, […]
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Unveiling
Question: Are there ways to imbue tradition at an unveiling in the absence of clergy and a minyan? Answer: An unveiling is a ceremony held at the cemetery to […]
The Long and Winding Road
In Parashat Masei, the Torah carefully lists the forty-two locations where the Israelites camped during their journey from Egypt to the border of Canaan. At first glance, this list […]
Kohen/Levi
Question: Do you have to reserve the first Aliyah for a Kohen and the second for a Levi, or can anyone be called for any Aliyah? Answer: This is […]
Bedtime Shema
Question: For those of you who say Shema every night before bed, when do you say it? Right when you get into bed and put your head down? Or later […]
Smicha
On Shavuot, I had the privilege of teaching at my synagogue’s Tikkun Leil Shavuot, the traditional all-night study session. As my ordination ceremony was scheduled for the following week, I […]
Non-Kosher ingredients in skin care
Question: I would like to know your thoughts on the use of beef tallow for skin care. This is a current trend and I am sure that the tallow […]
Why was God angry at Bilaam?
This week’s Torah portion, Balak, stands out in the book of Numbers. While most of the narrative in the Torah focuses on the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Jordan […]
Sefirah and Sefirot
Beginning on the second day of Passover, Jews begin to count the Omer, in Hebrew, Sefirat HaOmer. The Omer was a special offering of barley that was brought to the […]
Wait… Passover can start on Saturday night???
While the first Seder (or the only seder in Israel) CAN happen on a Saturday night, it is not a common occurrence. It only happens 11 or 12 times in […]