Shalom, I quote from the rules of our Pesach Kashrut Forum: “This forum is intended for those who consider Rabbi Yonatan Halevy their rabbi, or that don’t have a rabbi to whom they can ask Halachic questions of. If you adhere to the rulings of another rabbi, or will use the rulings of this forum […]
Category: Chagim – Jewish Holidays
Purim’s Lesson: The Danger and Futility of Assimilation My dear fellow Jews, We live in a time of great peril to our small and precious nation. A modern day Haman has arisen in the country once known as ancient Persia, homeland of the Haman of antiquity. And, sadly, the threats this man spews forth are […]
I am silent. I have not spoken. I have not expressed opinion. I have not shared my thoughts. I have simply sat and pondered. Davened and cried. Closed my eyes and asked the Higher Power to give me clarity of mind. How am I to fathom the terrible tragedy that happened in New York last […]
Why do we cry on Tisha B’Av? What is it that we really mourn? Is it possible that we mourn for thousands of years over bricks and stones? Over the demolition of buildings? These questions burn in our mind throughout Tisha B’Av. How many of us question in the depths of our hearts the meaning […]
This past week, we celebrated Chai Elul – the 18th day of the Jewish month of Elul. It was on this day, in 1698, the great master and sage, Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov (Master of the Great Name), was born. Thirty-six years later, he began to disseminate his teachings throughout the world, after the […]
Each year, the Jewish people as a whole, commemorate the loss of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students, by abstaining from things that would make us happy. We don’t listen to music, shave, or get haircuts. What went wrong? What happened? Why do we mourn something that we didn’t do? The Talmud teaches us, that during these […]
Permission to Ask “And here the son asks” (Passover Hagaddah) Why do we begin the night of the Seder with the questions: Why is this night different from all other nights? I answered, “It is certainly permitted to ask. You may ask whatever is on your mind. Indeed, G-d wants us to ask questions and […]
Most of us read the Megillah year after year without realizing the sublime message embedded deep inside of it. It isn’t just a story of an evil king and a poor nation saved by a beautiful new queen and wise Jewish man. It is a story that defines our existence as Jews to this very […]