Machon Ohr Aaron and Betsy Spijer
I have a serious dilemma. As I am getting older (I am currently 76, thank God), I am becoming more and more afraid of my kippah. Let me tell you why: I am not sure I have the right to wear a kippah. Although today it is considered an obligation to wear a kippah, it […]
Giving birth to a child creates a paradox. On the one hand, it is the greatest joy we can imagine. The first commandment given to humankind is to be fruitful and multiply (Bereshit 1:28). Procreation is an expression of the highest form of creativity; just as God is the Creator of the Universe, so the […]
The menorah of Chanukah, sometimes called the chanukiah, has its roots in the menorah of the Temple. While there are many halakhot (laws) regarding the appearance and structure of the biblical menorah, Rashi, the great French commentator, points to a most remarkable halachic feature. Regarding the instruction to arrange the lamps so that they will […]
“Kosher” is a term that has gained rather wide prevalence, primarily in the context of “kosher food” – food that has been prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law (“kashrut”). Are these dietary laws sufficient to deem food kosher and fit for consumption? There may be other concerns significances of what “kosher” means that will influence our thoughts and behavior. “Kosher” is, in fact, a matter of holiness – which requires us to advance, progress and improve ourselves.
“Kosher” is a term that has gained fame in the context of “kosher food” prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law. (“kashrut”). Yet “kosher” is a matter of holiness – which requires us to advance, progress and improve ourselves.
As mentioned in our last essay (here) the Torah is not a text to be read as a book—rather, it is to be seen as a divine “notebook” containing succinct summaries of a greater lecture or series of lectures. Moshe first heard the lecture in its “sum total” when God delivered a series of lectures […]
