In Mizmor Lisoda, a part of our daily morning prayers, we say a passage from Tehillim (psalms): “Ivdu es Hashem bisimcha, bo’u lifanav birnana – serve Hashem with joy, come […]
Opportunities, Not Rights In this week’s Torah reading, we have a mitzvah (commandment) to refrain from muzzling an ox while it is threshing. Why does one owe his ox to […]
The Hebrew month of Elul is upon us. What is significant about this month? An old Jewish saying goes “in Elul, even the fish in the water tremble”. The upcoming […]
In this week’s Torah reading, Parshas Ki teitzei, the Torah prohibits a Moabite and an Ammonite to marry into the Jewish people. The reason the Torah gives for this is […]
Umbrellas, like many other useful things in life, prove to be quite versatile. Which is how I found myself in the midst of last week’s hurricane, clutching an umbrella and […]
The Torah view on how to deal with other people’s property In this week’s Torah reading (22:1-3) we have the Mitzvah (commandment) of Hashavas Aveidah. One who finds a lost […]
This week’s Torah portion, Parshat Ki Teitzei, contains 74(!) of the 613 mitzvot, commandments. I chose two commandments for this week’s Parsha Sweets and Treats. The first is shiluach hakan. […]
How much access, if any, should the NSA have to your communication records? That’s a hotly debated topic these days. At the root of that question lies the unavoidable conflict […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz I see many people washing their hands three times with a cup next to their beds when they wake up in the morning, […]
Keeping kosher can seem daunting, but there are resources here to guide you! Kosher.com, a popular blog featuring delicious kosher recipes, offers a wealth of information for anyone curious about […]
A Judge in Your Days The verse in this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Shoftim, says (Devarim 17:9) that if one requires a ruling in Torah law, you should go to […]
Teshuvah (Repentance) – A Daunting Task? As we enter the month of Elul, many people become more somber. They realize that judgment day is around the corner, and that they […]
It was God’s Idea! The verse (Devarim 8:18) in this week’s Torah reading says that we should remember that it is God who gives us strength to succeed in business; […]
< Lesson 15: Friday Night – Translation and Commentary Lesson 16: Common Mishaps at the Shabbos Table Introduction to the Shabbos Morning Meal (Rabbi Rappaport removes the challah cover, makes […]
It’s Been So Long – Can We Really Merit the Salvation? On Tisha B’Av, we mourn the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash (the Holy Temple), which was the cause of […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Why does Judaism need so many laws and restrictions? I consider myself good, kind, and honest, I give charity, and I am nice […]
It’s All in Your Mind In this week’s Torah reading, Moshe (Moses) admonishes the Jews for their reaction to the report of the spies about the Land of Israel. As […]
The Last Place You Look “Why is it,” goes the old joke, “that when you’re looking for something, you always find it in the last place you look?” The answer, […]
