A Frightening Judgement Look around you on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur as the powerful, frightening piyut (liturgical poem) of Unetaneh Tokef is sung during the Mussaf prayer. This awe-inspiring section depicts […]
Shabbat and Holidays
Discover the meaning and customs of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, with inspiring articles and practical how-tos.
First we need the big picture. Then we probe individually. Rosh Hashana is the forest. Yom Kippur is each tree. How do our actions differ, From the goals Hashem (God) […]
Botched Plans “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine,” has new meaning to me. We, Baruch Hashem (thank God), had a simcha (happy occasion) […]
I know, I know. The month of Elul should inspire awe and fear. I have heard stories of people in previous generations who would tremble when Rosh Chodesh Elul (the approach […]
Advice from an Ant The Midrash (Parshat Shoftim 5:2) quotes a pasuk from Mishlei (6:6-8), “Go to the ant, you lazy one, observe its ways and become wise…. It prepares […]
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 […]
Once again, all eyes are on the Land of Israel, the People of Israel, and we, scattered across the world, hang on every bit of news from our homeland. If […]
The King is in the Field The young nurse quietly slipped a piece of paper into my hand – it contained her name and private cell-phone number. “If you have […]
It’s Rosh Hashanah – Fill Your Day with Joy? We are used to thinking of Rosh Hashanah as a day of awe which we approach with much trepidation. After all, […]
A Trip of a Lifetime I’ve written before about airline and travel status. In today’s world, there are dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands, of experts, gurus and insiders who can […]