Author Archives: Harav Yehoshua Pfeffer

  When Yom Tov follows Shabbos, as will occur in the upcoming Shavuos festival, the halachic issue of preparing from Shabbos for weekdays becomes especially pertinent. The Yom Tov meal follows on quickly after Shabbos, and questions of preparing from Shabbos for Yom Tov purposes are often raised. The Shabbos-Yom Tov sequence thus presents us […]

  Commenting on the first words of Parashas Bechukosai—”If you will follow My statutes”—Rashi cites the explanation of Chazal: “That you shall toil in Torah study.” As Shavuos approaches, we take the opportunity to discuss a particular aspect of Torah study: The extent of the obligation to toil in Torah study, and the direction in […]

  The prohibition of ona’a, monetary fraud, is laid out in the instruction of the Pasuk: “When you sell something to your fellow, or buy from your fellow, do not wrong one man his fellow” (Vayikra 25:14). However, it is notable that Chazal, based on the subsequent Pasuk which instructs “you shall not wrong one […]

  The Torah prohibits keeping any edible chametz item in one’s house or possession over Pesach. Even an item containing only a small mixture of chametz is prohibited (see Rema, Orach Chaim 447:4; Mishnah Berura 35; Chazon Ish 119:12). One must either dispose of it before Pesach or sell it to a non-Jew. Some of […]

  With the festival of Pesach coming up, many of us will be thinking of which siyum to make on Erev Pesach. The reason for this is that while there is a custom for firstborns to fast on Erev Pesach because they were spared from death at the time of the death of Egyptian firstborns, […]

  Parashas Hachodesh marks the beginning of the Pesach season, when we celebrate our redemption from Egypt. The Shabbos reading contains the first mitzvah that was given nationally to the Jewish People—the mitzvah of the New Month. The first preparation for the nationhood of the Children of Israel relates to the concept of time. In […]

  As part of the pre-Pesach preparations, many organize special sales of Pesach-related goods. These include regular goods such as meat and groceries, as well as special Pesach products such as matzos and Pesach-related tableware. Some even open up a special Pesach store to provide customers with all their Pesach needs. This brings us to […]

  Purim is one of the festive days of the year on which there is no prohibition against work. Like Chanukah, Chazal did not decree that one may not work on Purim, and (also like Chanukah) there are no prohibited labors (as there are on Chol Hamoe’d). However, the story of work on Purim is […]

A halachic question raised with some frequency how to handle cases that involve disputed payments. This can arise in cases of claim that money is counterfeit, or when a miscount is claimed. With every new banknote issued by the central bank, the counterfeit industry adjusts and begins to print the relevant banknotes, with alarming accuracy. […]

The third of the Aseres Ha-Dibros instructs us in the prohibition of taking the Name of Hashem in vain (Shemos 20:6). The Gemara (Berachos 33a) derives from here the prohibition against making an unnecessary beracha, stating that one who does so transgresses the prohibition of taking the Name in vain. The question of taking the […]

  Parashas Beshalach includes the chapter dealing with the manna—the miraculous food, labelled mon in the Pasuk, which the Jewish People ate upon their leaving Egypt — and the manner of its descent from the skies. During the week, a portion of mon descended each morning, appropriate for that day’s consumption.  However, on Friday a […]

  Ancient Egypt is renowned for many scientific and cultural achievements. As with many later exiles and persecutions—most notably of course the German Holocaust—the morally corrupt oppressors of Israel were not backward nations, but world leaders in human culture, art and science. One of the most well-known Egyptian advances was its hieroglyphic writing system. Hieroglyphics, […]

  The book of Shemos opens with the names of the sons of Yaakov who descended to Egypt. The Torah’s lists of names, which occur not only Shemos but in many parshios across the Torah (and in particular in the book of Bereishis), shows that there is significance in a particular name. Names are important, […]

  In Parashas Vayechi we are told of the deaths of Yaakov and of Yosef, with which the book of Bereishis concludes. The Torah tells us that following Egyptian custom, both Yaakov and Yosef were embalmed after their deaths. By using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only  dry remains […]

  After learning that his son Yosef was still alive, the Torah tells us that Yaakov Avinu brought offerings “to the G-d of his father Yitzchak” (Bereishis 46:1). Rashi questions the mention of Yitzchak: Surely it is appropriate to refer to “the G-d of Avraham,” and not just to Yitzchak? Citing the Midrash (Bereishis Rabba […]

  One of the popular, and longstanding Chanukah customs—it is recorded among Ashkenazi Jewry at least from the 18th Century—is playing with the dreidel. Several reasons are given for this custom. According to one source, the custom of playing dreidel relates back to the time of the Chanukah miracle. Seeking to circumvent the Greek decree […]

The mitzvah of giving charity, tzedakah, is among the mitzvos that define Jewish communal life. Rather than taking an individualistic and distant approach from one another, the Torah urges us to be attentive to the needs of the other, and to come to the assistance of those who require it. Of the importance of the […]

  Among the many blessings we recite is the beracha of baruch sheptarani. Like other berachos, the crux of the beracha is an expression of gratitude to Hashem. But unlike most berachos that relate to a person’s own experience—physical pleasure, witnessing earthly phenomena, a life experience, the performance of mitzvos, and so on—the beracha of […]

  Toward the end of Parashas Chayei Sarah we find that Yitzchak brings Rivka to his mother’s tent: “And Yitzchak brought her into the tent of his mother, Sarah, and he married Rivka and she became his wife, and he loved her, and Yitzchak was comforted after his mother’s death” (Bereishis 24:67). On the nature […]

  According to one opinion in the Gemara (Berachos 26b), the daily Shacharis prayer was instituted by Avraham Avinu. The Gemara derives this from the verse in Parashas Vayeira (19:27), which states that Avraham “arose in the morning, to the place where he stood before Hashem.” This indicates that Avraham davened to Hashem in the […]

  The beginning of the rainy season—please G-d it should be so—gives us an opportunity to discuss the laws of mezuzah, and specifically the laws of checking one’s mezuzos. The basic obligation to check one’s mezuzah derives from weather-related factors. As we see, given conditions including rain, humidity, and sun, there is a certainly possibility […]

  There are only three days in the Jewish calendar on which the prevalent custom is to kneel and bow to the floor (bringing our heads to the ground) during davening: These are Rosh Hashanah (2 days) and Yom Kippur. On Rosh Hashanah, we bow as part of the Aleinu prayer. While in our daily […]

  One of the most distinctive practices of Rosh Hashanah is eating the Simanim, special foods at the first Rosh Hashanah meal. The Gemara (Krissus 6a) writes, “Symbolism has significance,” and because of this one should adorn the Rosh Hashanah meal with special foods. The Gemara does not specify when the Simanim should appear on […]

  We open the first meal of the new year—the first se’udah of Rosh Hashanah—with the simanim. The Gemara teaches that simana milsa, that omens are significant, and based on this we lay the table with foods possessing positive messages, over which we recite blessings and prayers related to the upcoming year. The custom of […]

  Parashas Ki Teiztzei discusses collecting debts: “Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, for he would be taking a life in pledge” (Devarim 24:6). We are instructed by the Pasuk to be sensitive to the needs of debtors. Taking their essential work tools as a pledge […]

  Parashas Shoftim talks about the king of Israel. Among the directives to the king, is the obligation to write a Torah scroll for himself: “And it will be, when he sits upon his royal throne, that he shall write for himself this Mishnah Torah on a scroll from before the Levitic kohanim” (Devarim 17:18). […]

  In Parashas Eikev the verse instructs us to “love the ger” (Devarim 10:19). This is understood as reference to the convert to Judaism: Beyond the general instruction to love all fellow Jews, we have a special obligation to love the convert. Indeed, this is not the only place in the Torah where the special […]

  Tisha be’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, when we mourn the destruction of two Temples, and the exile from our land. As such, it is also most strict of all fast days except for Yom Kippur, which is a day of atonement and not of mourning. Like Yom Kippur, it lasts […]

  Having entered the period of Bein Hametzarim–the period between the Seventeenth of Tamuz and the Ninth of Av, or the Three Weeks as the period is commonly known, we reflect this week on a specific issue that is often relevant during this time: saying the shehecheyanu blessing. There are many instances in which we […]

  We learn in Parashas Balak (according to the Ramban) that “there is no enchantment against Yaakov, nor is there any divination against Israel” (Bamidbar 23:23). Sorcery and magic, exclaimed Bilam, cannot take hold against Israel, for their destiny is in the hands of Hashem alone. While it seems distant from the sorcery of Bilam, […]

Parashas Chukas includes the episode of the fiery serpents. These serpents were sent by Hashem to punish the Children of Israel for speaking, in their anger and frustration, against Hashem and against Moshe. After the people repented, Moshe davened to Hashem, Who instructed him to fashion a serpent—Moshe made it of bronze—and to erect it […]

  Among the greatest human tragedies is suicide. Suicide is often motivated by excruciating pain. Yet among the survivors, the pain it causes is no less, bringing feelings of guilt and anguish that are almost unbearable. The deep wound of shame and guilt rarely heals. The one instance of suicide mentioned in the Tanach is […]

  In Parashas Behaalosecha we read about the Aron HaKodesh, the holy ark that carried the tablets of the Torah: “And it was, when the Aron set forward, that Moshe said: Rise up, Hashem, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You. And when it rested, he said: […]

  As we approach the festival of Shavuos, one of the questions frequently asked relates to Torah study for women. Some girls and women feel that they, too, wish to take part in the nightlong Torah study that many men engage in, and programs have been established to cater to this desire. While Torah study […]

  One of the main features of the rapidly approaching Pesach festival is, as we are all aware, cleaning. Of course, not every element of our cleaning rituals is mandated by halacha. But while Pesach gives us a good opportunity for spring cleaning, the underlying concept draws from the need to ensure our houses and […]

  Parashas Ki Tisa, includes the instruction not to eat meat and dairy products together. Chazal derive, from the threefold mention of the verse “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk,” three distinct prohibitions related to meat-milk mixture: cooking it, consuming it, and benefiting from the cooked mixture of meat and milk.  […]

  A question that is often of great practical relevance on Purim is the obligation of women in reading the Megillah. While women are obligated in hearing the Megillah, the scope of their obligation is a matter of some halachic debate. The topic is discussed by halachic authorities throughout generations, and has reached a heightened […]

  Parashas Terumah describes the stages in the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the construction that served the Children of Israel during their journeys in the wilderness. The commandment to construct the Tabernacle uses the word Mikdash: “You shall build a Mikdash for Me, and I shall dwell among you” (Shemos 25, 8). Rabbeinu Bachya […]

  Continuing from the Aseres HaDibros of Parashas Yisro, the detailed laws of Parashas Mishpatim focus, among other things, on Torah civil law. In the present article we will focus on a question concerning tort damages that we received recently on the dinonline website. While driving his well-kept Mazda car, Reuven made a standard stop […]

Parashas Yisro brings the Children of Israel to Sinai to receive the Aseres HaDibros, the Ten Commandments that are the cornerstone of the Torah. The Gemara in Berachos (12a) notes that the Sages wished to insert the Pesukim of the Ten Commandments into the daily recitation of Shema, so that they would receive special prominence. […]

  Parashas Beshalach includes the promise, given by Hashem to the Children of Israel, that they will not suffer the ailments of Egypt: “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of Hashem, your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I […]

  In Hashem’s warning of the final plague, Makkas Bechoros, the Pesukim describe what will come about: “And Moshe said: Thus says Hashem: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, […]

  As part of the back-and-forth between Hashem and Moshe, when Hashem wished to appoint Moshe to be the leader who will redeem the Children of Israel from Egypt, Moshe raised the problem of the people’s belief in him: “And Moshe answered and said: But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken to my […]

  In the Berachos that Yaakov Avinu bestows upon his children, we find the words of the verse: “The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah, nor the lawmaker from between his legs” (Bereishis 49:10). The Ramban explains that Pasuk alludes to the monarchy that Yaakov gave to his son Yehuda. Although the monarchy was initially […]

  “Yosef said to his brothers: I am Yosef! Is my Father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were greatly alarmed at his presence.” In addition to the incredible drama of the passage, in which Yosef reveals himself to his astonished brothers, we find the concept of rebuke. The Gemara […]

  The firstborn of Yaakov Avinu was Reuven. Yet, the de jure firstborn, the child who inherited a double portion from Yaakov, was Yosef, whose two sons both founded tribes of Israel. Despite losing his firstborn status to Yosef, it was Reuven who saved Yosef from death at the hands of his brothers: “Reuven heard, […]

  When he reached Shechem, the Pasuk tells us that Yaakov bought the land where he erected his tent for one hundred kesita (Bereishis 33:19). In the book of Yehoshua, we are told that the bones of Yosef, which were carried from Egypt by the Israelites, were buried in the same plot of land (24:32). […]

  The story of how Eliezer found a bride for Yitzchak, occupies a large section of the parsha of Chayei Sarah. The primary theme of the passage is the concept of continuity: the great spiritual construction that Avraham had initiated must continue through Yitzchak. Avraham’s search for Yitzchak’s soulmate is the Jewish search for continuity. […]

  Parshas Lech Lecha presents the first mitzvah that was given specifically to the Jewish People, beginning with Avraham Avinu and continuing today. The deep significance of the bris milah is latent in the word bris, a covenant. The eternal covenant between Hashem and Israel, which was initiated with Avraham, is forever reflected in the […]