The Yom Kippur Avoda

Pruzbul

The mitzvah of Shemittas Kesafim comes into effect this year immediately before Rosh Hashanah. This law cancels all debts that someone is owed, meaning that the creditor cannot force collection.

What Were the Differences Between the 1st & 2nd Luchot?

The Torah's Understanding of Love

So much has been written over the course of history about the always-fascinating topic of Love. It encompasses many aspects of our lives, whether between parents and children, between G-d and mankind, between man and woman, or just simply various experiences in which we "love" to engage. The Torah tells us to "love your friend as yourself" and to "love Hashem your G-d." It also relates that Yitzchak loved his wife Rivka, and that the two of them loved each of their sons, respectively. Yet, there is still much room to clarify what precisely is the Torah's approach to this issue.

Separating Terumah and Maaser

I have been looking for a specialty shampoo that contains oat bran. Someone found it in a very expensive store, and it does exactly what I want. One day, after showering, I noticed the label says that it is made in Israel! Does this mean that it is prohibited as Tevel?

Kiddush Levanah

Can I be mekadeish the levanah when there is just a slight cloud cover? Am I permitted to be mekadeish the levanah either before it gets fully dark or during the post-dawn, pre-sunrise morning hours? Did the Rif not write on this topic? Why not?

Pesach Sheini

Could you please review for me the order of pesach sheini night? I wanted to become Jewish before Passover, but it looks like it won’t happen. Is there any way for me to make up the korban Pesach that I will miss? I become bar mitzvah during the beginning of sefirah. Does this affect when I will bring korban pesach?

What Is the Significance of the Number 40 in Jewish Tradition?

Was Rivka Really 3 Years Old When She Married Yitzchak?

4. The Three Oaths

Chapter 4: Yom Ha-atzma’ut

The verse states: “I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field: Do not wake or rouse love until it please!” ). The Sages explain that God administered three oaths: two to Israel – not to ascend to their land forcefully all together and not to rebel against the nations – and one to the gentiles – not to subjugate the Jews excessively.

More on Orlah

I transplanted a cherry tree in order to sell the wood I see that many cherries have grown on the tree. Are they prohibited as orlah? A sabra tree plantad as a natural border fence for his property, and placed a sign telling people not to help themselves to the fruit. Is there an orlah prohibition on the fruit? If I plant trees for wood, do I need to keep track of which year I plant the tree, due to orlah concerns?

What Is Birkat Ha-ilanot, the Blessing on Trees?

Mitzvot Which Seem “Outdated” in General or Unfair to Women

All religious (or potentially religious) Jews have difficulty with mitzvot which seem to be outdated. How can a thinking Jew understand & identify with a Torah which allows slavery, bigamy or taking enemy women during war? This class also deals with many questions raised by women or feminists regarding the role of women in Judaism, laws of Aguna, divorce, the brachot of "Shelo Asani Isha" or "SheAsani KiRtzono", etc. Rav Kook, one of the most innovative & brave Gedolei HaDor, writes a lot on this issue of "updating", explaining & identifying with the Torah in a totally Orthodox way (on which no one can disagree), to bring the Torah closer to all. [It is the 1st part of the class on "Mitzvot Which Seem Immoral", also highly recommended!].

The Four “Exiles”

The Seudah of a Bris

How Hashem Relates to the Evil Person

condensed from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 12:27-28

condensed from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 12:27-28

Birkas Kohanim

How Did Rabbi Akiva's Students Die?

Why is the mourning period for the students of R. Akiva, so much more halachically serious than similar tragedies, in Jewish history? The class deals with the historic background of the time, as seen in the sources and archeology, which explicitly prove that the tannaim, R. Akiva's students, learned in a "Hesder" Yeshiva, combining Torah study with army service. They didn't wait passively for the redemption, but actively tried bringing it in the religious-Zionist way, which in their time was premature, but nevertheless serves as the Rambam's precedent for the future geula. Many other "innocent" sources in the Talmud are explained here, on the backdrop of the historic events of their time, and show that the Omer period mourns the fall of the 3rd State of Israel, a true national tragedy.

Kri’at HaTorah in the Shadow of Corona

When minyanim are taking place with the permission of health authorities under social distancing rules, what should be done to separate “functionaries”?

One in Ten Million

An inspiring story about the great power of answering "Amen".

Tefillin Retzuos, Maintenance, and Purchasing Instructions

A Tefillin Shoppers Guide

The Mourning Period of Sefirah

What Are the Guidelines for Aveilus Observed During the Sefirah Weeks?

What Are the Guidelines for Aveilus Observed During the Sefirah Weeks?

Selah

Why is Hafrashat Challah So Important

The Halachos of Pidyon Haben

Forgetting a Day of Sefirat Ha'Omer

Understanding the Prohibition of Avodah Zarah

Why Was Miriam Punished?

“Ba’omer” or “La’omer”?

Which is the correct version of counting the omer – “… yamim la’omer” or “… yamim ba’omer”? Is there a content difference or only a grammatical one between them?

Zera Yisrael

We have been dealing, over the last few weeks, with ideas to help integrate olim from the Former Soviet Union into Israeli society as full Jews. A group with a real obstacle is children of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. They are, of course, not Jewish unless they undergo conversion. Yet, it is our opinion that we should not look at them as if they have, in the meantime, no connection to the Jewish People. The great majority were treated as Jews in the Soviet Union, where a citizen’s nationality is determined by his father, not his mother. As a result, they suffered from anti-Semitism. How shocked were many, upon arriving in Israel, to find out that halacha does not view them as Jewish and that they cannot get married here?

Practices of the Tochacha

How Many Eggs Should be Boiled Together?

When making hardboiled eggs, may one cook one or two eggs or must there be at least three? Also, does it make a difference if there is an even or odd number

Timtum Halev – Part I

Is there timtum halev [approximately, spiritual pollution of the heart] when one ingests non-kosher food in a halachically valid manner, e.g., based on bitul (nullification)?

What do I do with my Sheimos?

Introduction and Biography of the Noda B’Yehuda

After an extended period of presenting ideas of the Chatam Sofer on monetary disputes, we move on to a shorter series on the works of Rav Yechezkel Segal Landau, often called the Noda B’yehuda. (Although Rav Landau served as a dayan for many years, poskim do not usually publicize their rulings on cases in which they served as a dayan, but on questions asked by other rabbis. The Noda B’yehuda did not include many such cases in his reponsa.) Many view the Chatam Sofer and the Noda B’Yehuda as two of a kind. They were in the same basic time period (Rav Landau was around 50 years older), they were important rabbis of important communities at critical times, and the works of each are among the most respected and quoted by Acharonim.

How can one annul a vow?

The Principles of Hagalat Kelim

Chapter Ten-Part One

Chapter Ten-Part One

Preference of Davening in a Shul

The Mitzva of Settling the Land of Israel (Yishuv HaAretz), in Our Day

Days on Which Tachanun Is Not Recited

Chapter Twenty One-Part Three

Chapter Twenty One-Part Three

Errors, Additions, and Omissions in the Amidah

Chapter Eighteen-Part One

Chapter Eighteen-Part One

The Order of Amidah

Chapter Seventeen-Part Four

Chapter Seventeen-Part Four

The Laws of Reciting Shema

Chapter Fifteen-Part Four

Chapter Fifteen-Part Four

Ruach Ra’ah

Chapter eight-part two

Chapter eight-part two

Who Can Be Counted in a Minyan?

Chapter Two-part three

Can every ten men be a Minyan or are there other conditions?

Memory And Marching

Parsha Summary: Acharei Mot - Kedoshim

An Overview of the Torah Portion

An Overview of the Torah Portion

Methods of Receiving Pay for Work on Shabbat

Beracha on Pureed Vegetable Soup

The Order of the Study of Torah Disciplines

Rav Yehudah Hachassid and his Shidduchin II

In a previous article we discussed the writings of Rav Yehudah Hachassid, who prohibited or advised against many potential marriages that are otherwise perfectly acceptable according to halachah. But first some background on the chassidei Ashkenaz.

At What Age Should One Marry in Our Times

Torah studies and acquiring a profession take longer, so how does this affect the obligation to get married by a certain age? What about postponing having a family after marriage?

Halakha on Abortion of Fetuses with Severe Abormalities

A fetus is considered a living entity in regards to certain laws, but there is no penalty of death for taking its life. What do the rabbinical decisors say?

The Special Mitzvah of Reciting Hallel

Tallit and Tefillin During Selichot

Abraham’s 10 tests and consequences

The parallelism between the ten trials of Avraham Avinu and other important tens.

The Kashrus of Raisin Juice and Wine

How can two kosher, pareve ingredients combine to become a product that can become non-kosher? A non-Jewish friend of mine makes her own raisin wine. Is this a kashrus issue like grape wine, or is it like cherry wine, which is usually kosher?

Women in Synagogue

Keeping Kosher - Eating Out

Sichon Conquers Moav

Hirsch At Your Table

A brief Dvar Torah on the Parsha, based on R. Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Torah Commentary

Making a Shabbat Tallit Into a Weekday One

Children Waiting Between Meat and Milk

Children in Diapers in Shul During Davening

HaRav Abba Berman zt”l, an appreciation

Rav Abba Berman once explained that superficial learning is like watching the hands of a clock move around its dial. In-depth learning, which he felt is the goal of all learning, is like “opening the back of the watch to see what makes it tick.”

Parsha Summary: Acharei Mot

An Overview of the Torah Portion

An Overview of the Torah Portion

This Is the Way We Salt Our Meat

The laws of Kashering meat, why the chicken is split, and the connection to the Korbanos.

Is It Time For Maariv?

When is the correct time to daven maariv? Why is there no repetition of shmoneh esrei for maariv? Must women daven maariv? The chiyuv to daven, Plag HaMincha, and the dispute regarding the correct time to daven maariv.

It’s About Time - Bein Hashemashos

About Bein Hashmashot, the impact on important mitzvot, how will it affect the time of the bris? Dovening Minha, Shabbat, Rosh Hashana, the Gra and Rabbeinu Tam.

Explaining the Mitzvah of Pidyon Shevuyim

The Commandment of Redeeming Captives

Is savining a child from being raised non-Jewish considered Pidyon shevuyim? Is there a mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim when someone was captured because he was doing something irresponsible or illegal?

Milk Spoon in a Meat Sink or Dishwasher

Kashrut in a Nutshell

The Halacha of meaty, dairy and parve cutlery washed together in the sink or dish washer, with hot or cold water.

Laws of the Arava

How to choose the Arba MInim

The laws of the Arava - Willow, one of the four spices.

Four Species in a nutshell

How to choose Arba Minim

The basic Halachot or the four species - Etrog, Lulav, Hadas (myrtle) and Arava (willow).

My Vows I Shall Fulfill

Can performing a mitzvah become a liability? What does it mean that I am doing something "bli neder?" "When I attended a Gemara shiur on Nedarim, I got the impression that performing hataras nedarim requires having a talmid chacham deliberate over the specific neder, until he concludes that there are grounds to release the neder. This seems to have no relationship to what we do on Erev Rosh Hashanah." "My friend Billy Nader says bli neder on almost everything. Is this being too frum?"

The Prohibition of Chanufah

When is it permitted to honor a person and when is there the prohibition of flattery?

The Twentieth of Sivan

"I noticed that the back of my siddur contains a large section devoted to selichos for the 20th of Sivan, yet I have never davened in a shul that observed this day. What does this date commemorate?"

Tasting Non-Kosher Wine

Memories and regrets

The Six Day War brought to the Jewish world a sense of unity and solidarity that since then has never been matched. The stark divisions in the Jewish world have since then been magnified and intensified

Short Pants for Davening on Shabbat

The Fruits of the Fourth Year

What are the laws related to fruit growin on a tree in its fourth year?

Showering on Shabbat

May someone soak an infected toe in hot water on Shabbos? May I take a quick dip in the pool on a Shabbos when it is 105 degrees in the shade? Is bathing on Shabbos permitted to alleviate a minor skin condition?

Shehecheyanu, Clothes, and Renovations During Sefira

Preparing Food on Yom Tov

Although most melachos are forbidden on Yom Tov, cooking and most other food preparation are permitted. Nevertheless, some types of food preparation are prohibited on Yom Tov. What is allowed, what is forbidden and what is the difference between these actions?

Writing on Shabbat

May I write my initials on a frosty window on Shabbos?, May I communicate with someone on Shabbos by making the motions of writing the letters?

Double Parashiyot

When is it a good idea to have doubles?

In most calendar years, our policy is to have several weeks when we read a double parsha so that we are able to complete the Torah every year and make a Siyum HaTorah on Simchas Torah. Why and when does this happen?

Hamapil for Those Who Take a Long Time to Fall Asleep

To rely on leniencies

Is one allowed to research and decide halachic questions oneself? Can one search out lenient opinions? Can one do so constantly for every question?

Accepting an Appikoras?

One of the Korban Pesach laws is that apostate Jews may not eat the Korban. Why on other holidays we accept even Jewish criminals, but on Pesach the Torah forbade those people who cut themselves off from the nation from eating the Pesach lamb?

Don't Be Afraid of Responsibility

The Wisdom of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (2)

The Wisdom of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (2)

Explaining the Customs of Bris Milah

The mitzvah of Bris Milah has been enhanced by many beautiful customs. We will explain the background of these minhagim in the course of a guide to the honors bestowed during a bris and the steps of a bris procedure.

netilat yadayim

seudat hodaya

Parashat Vayechi - Questions

Parsha and Rashi Q & A for the Shabbos Table.

Weddings

Grave Issues about Graven Images

Is it prohibited to look at articles that merely represent the actual idol, even though they are not themselves worshipped (icons), or is the prohibition limited to idols that are themselves worshipped?

What Bracha Do I Make Before Smelling the Shavuos Flowers?

My husband brought me beautiful roses for Shavuos. Should I make a bracha before smelling them? I have noticed that sometimes there is no noticeable fragrance.

Why Parshas Naso Sometimes Introduces Shavuos

Understand the science behind the Parsha of the week and its place in a ever versatile calendar

Some Shatnez Basics

Background on the issue of Shatnez. In what situations is there reallyproblem?

Why Do Children Start With Vayikra?

Rabbi Nachum Zev Dessler

The whats and whys of Chodosh?

Tzeniut in the light of the Maharal

Adapted from Netivot Olam

Tzniut - Restrictions or Protection?

The Spurned Shadchan

Insights into the Financial and Halachic world of the Shadchan.

Redeeming a Firstborn Donkey!

The Mitzvah of redeeming the first born Donkey - a long lost Halacha or a practical law for Donkey owners and riders in today's times ??

The Goat for Azazel

How Do We Serve God?

How Does a Heter Iska Work?

What is the prohibition of "Ribbit"? who does it apply on? How does the "Heter Iska" bypass the prohibition? and more...

The Death of a Tzaddik

Shir Hashirim

Deeper meaning of Shir Hashirim, The Song Of Songs.

B'dikat Chametz

Assembling Portable Cribs and Adjusting Shtenders on Shabbos

Milechet Boneh with movable items, removing leaves from the table, Assembling Portable Cribs, adjusting Shtenders on Shabbat and more.

Relationships during the Time of Engagement

A young engaged man and his fiancée naturally have very strong feelings for each other. It goes without saying that these will be expressed after the wedding, but what expression, if any, is permitted in the meantime? And while we're on the subject, is the attraction of men and women to each other really a good thing to begin with?

Dayanim With Authentic Semicha

The Mitzvah of “Duchening” - Birchas Kohanim

The basic Halachot of Duchening, taking off shoes and washing hands, Why Is This Mitzvah Called Duchening? The connection between Duchening and dreams...

Of Umbrellas, Trees and Other Kohen Concerns

Various laws of Tumah. Can a Kohen walk by a non-Jewish cemetery? Does Tumah spread under umbrellas? What about thin branches, twigs, and leaves? Why is it prohibited for a Kohen to come in contact with a Met?

The Halachot of Pidyon Haben

Halachot of Pidyon Haben. The time of the Pidyon, Cesarean births, can you give the Cohen a check? can a Cohen return the money? and more...

Pirkei Avot between Pesach and Shavuot

That a Cohen May Not Marry a Divorcee

A few days later, a royal emissary of the Empress Maria Teresa appeared at the rabbi’s home. The surprised rabbi realized that the wealthy Jew had broken the convention by which Jews did not involve non-Jews in their inner disputes. He had no choice.

Hatzalah and Shabbos Emergencies

A summary of PIKUACH NEFESH Halachot on Shabbat. What if I do not now if it is a life threatening emergency? Who should drive? A man or a woman? A Jew or a Non-Jew? and more....

The Seder Avodah of Yom Kippur

What is the meaning of the Seder Avoda that we recite on Yom Kipur? Why do we say it and what are we to learn from it?

Days of the Omer and Refining Character Traits

Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students died during the Omer counting period. Why did they die precisely during these days? Is there any connection between the Torah commandments applying to the Omer period and the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students at this time?

Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes

Iyar 14 is the Hilulah (death anniversary) of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes. Tradition has it that Rabbi Meir asked to be buried in an upright position so that, when the Messiah comes and the dead are resurrected, he be able to run to greet him with no delay.

Climate Change

Are We Permitted to Enjoy this World?

I recline in an armchair in the lobby of the hotel and look over the menu. After the crazy day I've had, I deserve to relax and enjoy a good meal. Suddenly, I am menaced by a disturbing thought: Am I really permitted to enjoy myself in this world?

Shaving and Haircuts during the Three Weeks

When during the three weeks can I shave and have a haircut? What are the laws of mourning with regard to shaving?

The Three Keys

"R' Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be He has retained in His own hands and not entrusted to the hand of any messenger, namely, the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of the Revival of the Dead"

The Ten Tribes Beyond the Sambatyon

The road from Babylon to the Land of Israel passes through Syria, and many of the returning exiles got stuck there, beyond the Sambatyon River. Though largely unobservant, they were protected from assimilation by the observance of the Sabbath.

The Laws Relating to Converts

The laws relating to Jewish converts are most astounding. Despite the criticism directed at the Jewish people on the grounds that Judaism is racist, the Torah teaches us that any non-Jew who earnestly seeks to join the Jewish people may do so.

Tree Planting - the Redemption Revealed

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said, “If while holding a sapling in your hand you are told that the Messiah is about to arrive, first plant the sapling and then go out to receive the Messiah.” Settling the land complements the advent of the Messiah.

A Woman's Obligation to Pray

According to most authorities, women are no less obligated to pray than men. Therefore, they must pray “Amida” in the morning and the afternoon (“Shacharit” and “Mincha”). The evening Amida prayer (“Maariv”), on the other hand, is voluntary.

The Ark- A Torah Symbol or a National One?

Parashat Terumah

Parashat Terumah

The Horse Vs. The Sabbath

The physical world does not run counter to the spiritual. Its purpose is to assist the spiritual world. The problem begins when people portray these two spheres as negating one another. When this happens a war erupts and the spiritual world stands to be harmed.

The Minor Fasts and Their Laws

Did Jews fast over the destruction of the First Temple when the Second Temple stood? Must pregnant and nursing women abstain from eating and drinking on minor fasts? Rabbi Eliezer Melamed addresses these and other important questions.

Mourning Customs During the Omer

The days between Passover and Shavuot are marked by pain; twenty-four thousand of Rabbi Akiva’s students died therein. Consequently, it is customary to observe mourning practices during this period - weddings, haircuts, and dancing are all forbidden.

Speaking Lashon Hara

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

Seeing Hashem’s Face

Ester and the Dawn

Purim serves as an example of what things will be like in the Messianic Age, for, in the time of Purim, the Jews merited seeing the light amidst the darkness, a situation which recalls the verse, “Though I sit in darkness, God is a light for me.”

The Laws of Modesty

The trait of modesty, so imbedded in the Nation of Israel, has served as the foundation for all the giant spiritual advances achieved by the Jews throughout history. This is why the Torah laid so strong an emphasis on maintaining modesty and sanctity.

The Importance of Driving Cautiously

The act of reckless driving is itself biblically proscribed - even if no accident results. One receives a fine "from above" for such behavior, and fines rendered by the Heavenly Court are immeasurably more severe than those handed out by the police.

Joseph and His Brothers

The Settlers and the Israeli Left

Relations between Israel's left and the settler community seem to mirror the sort of relations that existed between Joseph and his brothers. The settlers, like Joseph, dream messianic dreams about the redemption of Israel; the brothers are spiteful.

The “Pur” Behind Purim

All of the books of the Prophets and the entire body of the Sacred Writings are to be annulled in the Messianic Age - with the exception of the Book of Ester. It, like the Five Books of Moses and the laws of the Oral Tradition, will never be annulled.

The War of the Kings and its Significance

Parashat Lech Lecha

This week’s Torah portion describes at great length the war between the four and five kings, detailing their names and lands. Yet, what is so important about this particular battle that caused the Torah to describe it in such detail?

The Prohibition Against Smoking

Many people ask, “What does Jewish law have to say about smoking? Is it permissible or forbidden? Is it permissible for a non-smoker to demand that a smoker refrain from smoking in his presence on the grounds that the smoke bothers him?”

The Laws of Torah Study

Part 3

How many hours a day should a person study? What is the goal in studying Torah, understanding or remembering? What does it take to become a Torah scholar? Rabbi Eliezer Melamed provides answers to these and other interesting questions.

Concerning the "Revadim" Approach

What is known as the "Revadim" approach to Talmud study developed and was nurtured via methods of reasoning which originate in the academic world. The university, though, is a place for the development of empirical, human wisdom, not Torah wisdom.

Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk: The Pioneering Rebbe

It would appear that his thirst for closeness to God, and his great longing for the Holy Land - the land wherein the Divine Presence rests - shook his inner being so strongly that no worldly enjoyment could compare to living in the land of Israel.

The Crowns of Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s eminence stems from its being the city of the Holy Temple, the home of the kingdom of Israel, and the Torah center of the world. In liberating Jerusalem we merited advancing toward the full revelation of the greatness of the Holy City.

The Maharal of Prague: An Introduction

We might very well credit Rabbi Yehudah Liva, the legendary "Maharal of Prague," with being the first to "open the gate" and provide us with a truly penetrating look at the essence of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Torah - the "Midrash."

Shmittat Kesafim

Debt Cancellation in the Shmitta Year: A Question of Terminology; The Mechanism of Prozbul; How Is It Possible?; A Proposal; Compelling the Debtor to Pay

The Flame that Won't be Extinguished

The Flame. Heart of the Nation. A Command and a Pledge. Renewed Inspiration. Rekindled in the Galut.

The Commandment to Settle the Land of Israel

Part 1

Part 1

Adding, Uprooting, and Rabbinical Authority

What gives the Rabbis the right to add laws to those which the Torah commanded us? From where do they derive the authority to enact preventative safeguards that result in the uprooting of Torah law?

Striking a Balance

Parshat Achrei mot - Kdoshim

The Zeal of Youth Torah Channeling, not Suppressing