A Surprising Mitzvah for a Non-Kosher Animal Among the thousands of species of animals on the planet, the donkey stands apart in a most surprising way. Despite being a non-kosher […]
Judaism 101
Understand the meaning behind Jewish commandments and how they connect to daily life and purpose.
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Can a person be too religious, “too frum,” in their commitment to Torah and mitzvot (Torah commandments)? Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds: What Does […]
Why Didn’t Moshe Perform the First Plagues? The time had come for the Egyptians to be held accountable for the suffering they had inflicted upon the Jewish people. God decreed […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz My family has a tradition to commemorate yahrtzeits (nachalot– anniversaries of death) with a seudah (meal) at a restaurant, together with friends. But it has become very expensive, […]
Yaakov’s Final Blessings and the Language of Animals What does it mean that Yaakov (Jacob) compared some of his sons to animals? In this week’s Torah reading Yaakov calls all […]
My son is soon turning three. What do I need to do to prepare for his first haircut? In order to properly prepare for your son’s Chalakah/Upsherin ceremony, be sure […]
Read Upsherin Part 7: A Jewish Boy’s Introduction To Torah and Upsherin Part 9: The Upsherin Preparation Checklist By Rabbi Mayer Smith Upsherin Part 8 Sources: 1 Even Hasapir volume […]
Many Jewish parents have the custom of bringing their young “Upsherin boys” to a rebbi (Jewish Teacher) to begin the study of Torah.1 The rebbi introduces the young boy to […]
While parents prepare for their children’s Upsherin, they may find themselves somewhat confused. They may be wondering, “Yes, my child is of age to enjoy the excitement of a birthday […]
My friend took their three-year-old boy to their rabbi on the day of his Upsherin for a blessing. Should I do that too? This is a beautiful thing to do […]
