The principal claim of Korach and his assembly, as told in Parashas Korach, was dissatisfaction with their Levite status. They desired to serve as Kohanim; their status as Levi’im… Read more »

  The mitzvah of separating challah has been popularized in recent times. Challah parties for women, at which separating challah is the highlight, are often held on special occasions. Sometimes,… Read more »

  The Maharil writes that a woman who forgot to light Shabbos candles “must be careful all of her days to add an extra candle, one more than the amount… Read more »

    In this week’s parsha we read about the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim. Sefer Chareidim has an important opinion about the mitzvah of the priestly blessing—Birkas Kohanim. Although the… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  The mitzvah of chinuch, educating our children in general, and specifically initiating them into keeping mitzvos, is among the central elements of the Jewish people. In one of the… Read more »

  The Gemara (Sotah 14a) teaches that we are should follow the ways of Hashem—to emulate His traits (midos) as taught to us by the Torah. One of His traits… Read more »

As we count the Omer, many of us will encounter some of the doubts typical of the Omer count. This week we wish to discuss these doubts. There is no… Read more »

  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,… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  An often discussed halachic element of Purim is the question of damages caused in the course of celebration, drunken or otherwise. Purim damages can be a simple case of… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  The annual reading of Parashas Zachor fulfills the obligation of remembering the deed of Amalek as the Children of Israel traversed from Egypt. The memory of Amalek is a… Read more »

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… Read more »

  One of the most striking features of Torah tort law is the concept of indirect damage. In contrast to modern law systems, Torah law includes an explicit exemption from… Read more »

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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  When Pharaoh began to crack under the pressure of the plagues that continued to strike him, and wished to allow the Jewish people to leave Egypt to serve Hashem,… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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,… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  In the past two articles we discussed the mitzvah (or custom) of giving maaser kesafim, and, following this, the priorities that define how best to distribute charity money. In… Read more »

  After discussing the principles of maaser kesafim, we turn this week to the question of how maaser money should be allocated. In dealing with this matter, we need to… Read more »

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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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),… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  One of the beautiful and pleasing aspects of Sukkos is the customary Sukkah decorations. They provide children with healthy Sukkos activity prior to the festival, and adults with the… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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,”… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  Parashas Re’eh includes the instructions for treating a Jewish servant, an eved ivri (Devraim 15:12-15:18). The final verse of the passage tells the master that once the six years… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  Parashas Va’eschanan includes the Ten Commandments, one of them being the mitzvah of Shabbos. Among the mitzvos of Shabbos is the obligation: “Remember the day of Shabbos, to sanctify… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

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… Read more »

  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… Read more »

  The end of Parashas Shelach instructs us in the mitzvah of tzitzis. “Speak to the Children of Israel, and instruct them that they make them fringes on the borders… Read more »

  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… Read more »