Beitzah 12a

Of the 39 melachot that are prohibited on Shabbat, some, which relate to the preparation of food and to other matters of physical and spiritual comfort, are permitted on Yom Tov. “The only work you may perform [on Yom Tov] is that which is required for your nourishment (ochel nefesh),”

Moshe Rabbeinu was a man beyond comparison. He took care of Bnei Yisrael and many times put their needs before his. Using the 13 attributes of mercy and telling Hashem to have his name erased from the Torah, he convinced Hashem not to get rid of the Jews. Despite this, in the last portion of Parshat Haazinu, Moshe is told again that he

Videocast featuring leading gedolim garners unprecedented pre-Rosh Hashanah inspiration.

“The Chofetz Chaim changed the briyah—he transformed the entire world! The entire agenda of klal Yisrael changed because of him and today, on his yahrtzeit, it is the time for

It is natural to feel that the more we have, the happier we will be. But the truth is that it doesn’t always work that way. In fact, many times, getting more than we really need can create new and difficult challenges. This week’s Torah portion (32:15) warns the Jewish people to be careful when things get better for them and not to let

In the process of teshuva there are many things that can get in the way. In addition to the Rambam’s list of 24 “mi’akvim es ha’teshuva,” spiritual blocks to teshuva, many practical and psychological blocks can also derail a sincere person’s teshuva efforts. One example that seems especially prominent today is the fear of

He was dating a non-Jewish woman seriously, and when Sarah would ask him if he planned on raising his children as Jews, his answer was no; Judaism wasn’t important to him. Sarah had one question for me: How do I convince my son to be Jewish?

Although I didn’t know Sarah, she had

Life is always changing. Each person we meet, each place we go and each thing we do is an opportunity to experience, learn from and just plain enjoy.

But most situations don’t last forever. We may find ourselves experiencing some transitions in life. Some changes will be easier, some may be more

In regard to teshuva, our parsha says: “It’s not concealed from you, nor is it far away… it’s not up in the heavens that you should say who will go up to get it for us … nor is it across the sea that you should say who will cross over the sea for us to go retrieve it…rather it is extremely close to you—it’s in your mouth and

I. Talking Destroys Shuls

Talking in shul has been a problem since time immemorial. People who talk about idle matters during the prayer service not only show disrespect for the sanctity of the synagogue and the prayers, they disrupt the prayer experience of others. When there is

“Due to the great multitude of our sins, in the past decade, a leprosy has spread among the cantors.”

You know when a halachic authority starts a sentence this way, you better buckle up—because you are in for a treat. Whatever could this terrible sin be?

The Yud Gimmel Middot, or the 13 characteristics or qualities of Hashem, are a central feature of the Selichot service. They are also recited on fast days and repeated often on Yom Kippur. (Those who follow Nusach Sefard say it daily in their tachanun.) The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 17b) informs us in the name of R. Yochanan that

While COVID has not brought many local Jews to Israel, nevertheless it has brought the spirit of Israel to the United States. Booming online study programs have served to spread the Torah of Eretz Yisrael around the globe—even those teachings that involve not just the brain but the