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 The Agony Of Agunot .: Viewed: 2648 times :.
"Kotzo Shel Yod" ("The Point on Top of the Yod"), the 1887 poem by Judah Leib Gordon, includes a description of the cruel harassment by rabbis of an unfortunate agunah (literally, a "chained woman," whose husband deserts her or disappears without divorcing her, thus preventing her from remarrying). Â The description is vitriolic, wicked, dishonest, and disgraceful, in the spirit of the poets...
Published: December 27, 2006 |
Yona's Dilemma –Commit Suicide to Save Others? .: Viewed: 2642 times :.
Was throwing Yona into the sea to save the sailors on the ship in accordance with Halachah? May one person be killed to save the lives of many people? Sanhedrin 74b teaches: Regarding any of the sins in the Torah, if a person is told "Violate it and you will not be killed, " he should violate it. The only exceptions are idolatry, sexual sin and murder…And how do we know that this...
Published: September 16, 2014 |
Yom Kippur's Mystical Challenge .: Viewed: 2605 times :.
The common perception of Yom Kippur is the ultimate "Don't - Can't" experience. Don't eatDon't drinkCan't even wash your face. For most people, Yom Kippur is an ordeal that we have to get through, an exercise in self-denial that is even more constricting than Shabbat.  The long synagogue service and repeated emphasis on guilt and sin turn Yom Kippur into a day of awe and anxiety despair...
Published: September 19, 2007 |
NEILA – Locked In With G-d .: Viewed: 2604 times :.
Jay and the Americans had a hit song called “Let’s Lock the Door”. Jay attended Yeshiva Torat Emet in Boro Park. Was he singing about NEILA on Yom Kippur?
The Hebrew word for the Satan is numerically equivalent (Gematria) to 364. The Midrash explains that during the 364 days of the year, the Satan has the power to prosecute the Jewish people. But on one day, Yom Kippur, he...
Published: September 17, 2017 |
Baruch Hashem! - Does G-d Need Our Blessing? .: Viewed: 2602 times :.
What is so important about declaring, "Boruch Hashem"? The Rambam writes that public prayer begins with the Chazan saying Kaddish and Borchu (Hilchot Tefillah 9). If you think about it, "Borchu et Hashem" is a summons by the Chazan for the congregation to say "Boruch Hashem". The Rishonim explain that the Chazan adds "Hamevorach…" so as to include himself in the declaration that G-d is...
Published: March 18, 2015 |
Sacrifices of the Temple Altar: Symbol of the Soul .: Viewed: 2598 times :.
The Book of Vayikra is taken up with sacrificial laws and rituals. For many people, it is easier to relate to narrative portions of the Torah or commandments that apply in our day than to those dealing with Temple sacrifices. The last sacrifices were offered in 68 C .E., before the Second Temple was destroyed. Many people would find it hard to conceive how the sacrificial system could actually...
Published: May 24, 2011 |
Is There Conflict Between Evolution And Judaism? .: Viewed: 2580 times :.
The Torah and science are completely compatible. Judaism insists that this world is not the result of an accident or blind chance but the result of a purposeful Act of Creation. Once the principle of Divine Creation is accepted Judaism allows much latitude in belief as to how the creation was effected. Â There is no religious objection to the acceptance of the Theory of Evolution provided it...
Published: October 17, 2007 |
Rosh Chodesh: The Gift Of Renewal .: Viewed: 2571 times :.
The Zohar, in explaining the importance of the new moon and our celebration of its renewal each month, states: "The Jewish nation is compared to the moon. Just as the moon wanes and seems to disappear into darkness only to be reborn, so too the Jewish people often appear to be overwhelmed by the forces of darkness, only to reemerge as a nation reborn." The main religious teaching of Rosh...
Published: March 1, 2006 |
How to Know Your Mission in Life .: Viewed: 2565 times :.
Why are we here? What is the purpose and meaning of our existence? There is a perplexing verse in Genesis 2:18, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make for him a helpmate who is against him.” Â At first sight this verse seems to be a paradox: a helpmate assists, she does not oppose. The Talmud (Bavli Yevamot 63a) phrases the question as follows. The Hebrew...
Published: October 27, 2011 |
Does G-d Wear Tefillin? .: Viewed: 2565 times :.
The Talmud in ( Brachot 6a) states, " That G-d Wears Tefillin". However, one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith of the Rambam states that G-d has no physical body, so how does He "wear" Tefillin? To answer this question, we must ask another, because a Jew answers a question with a question. The question is why do we pray?
We are accustomed to regard prayer as a person either praising G-d...
Published: October 28, 2013 |
Are the Deceased Aware of Us? .: Viewed: 2565 times :.
Are the Deceased Aware of Us? In memory of my student Karen Yemima bat Avraham V'Sarah, murdered by an Arab Terrorist הי"ד When we visit a cemetery or remember a loved one on a Yahrzeit, we may find ourselves wondering whether the deceased are aware of us. Do they know what we are thinking about, what we are feeling? Do they empathize with our travails? Do they see our...
Published: November 12, 2014 |
Will the Final Redemption Parallel the Exodus? .: Viewed: 2562 times :.
The prophet Micah said (7:15), "As in the days of your leaving Egypt, I shall show them marvelous things." His words imply that the Exodus is the precedent for the Final Redemption, as the Midrash expounds:
"Just as in Egypt, I shall redeem you in the future from subjugation to Edom and shall perform miracles for you, as it says, 'As in the days of your leaving Egypt, I shall display...
Published: May 24, 2011 |
The Mitzvah to Redeem Captives: Symbol of The Entire Torah .: Viewed: 2562 times :.
Gilad Shalit has now been held captive for over 5 years by our "peace" partners. Throughout history, Jews have gone to remarkable lengths to retrieve their brethren from hostile hands. This mitzvah is referred to in rabbinic literature as "pidyon shivuyim" (redemption of captives). It is the only precept designated by the Talmud as a "mitzvah rabba" (great mitzvah). Its special status in...
Published: July 6, 2011 |
Megillat Esther : Today's Front Page .: Viewed: 2559 times :.
The Rambam states in Hilchos Megillah, Chapter 2, Halacha 18, that all books of the Prophets and all of the Holy Writings will be cancelled in the Messianic Era except for Megillat Esther, which will exist forever like the Torah and the Talmud.
What makes the Megillah so unique that it will be preserved for eternity, unlike other Books of the Tanach? The answer is found in the Megillat...
Published: February 21, 2012 |
Kabbalistic Secrets Of The Korban Pesach .: Viewed: 2558 times :.
In several places, our Sages view the Korban Pesach (Paschal sacrifice) as serving to break the ties of idolatry. We read in Shemos Rabbah (16): "We find that when the Jewish people were in Egypt, they worshiped idols, as it is written (Ezekiel 20:8), "They did not cast away the abominations of their eyes." Hashem told Moshe, "As long as the Jewish people worship the gods of Egypt, they shall...
Published: May 9, 2003 |
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