Levi was a student in Yeshiva Kol Torah in Eretz Yisrael. Alas, Levi made some bad choices, adopted some regrettable behaviors, and was duly warned. He didn’t stop. The faculty made the difficult decision that Levi must leave the yeshiva. It fell upon Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, the rosh yeshiva, to tell Levi. He called the boy

אם בחוקותי תלכו—“If you will go in my statutes.” Rashi explains this is a reference to “toiling in Torah” [“שתהיו עמלים בתורה”]. Why doesn’t the pasuk just say outright that we should toil in Torah? Additionally, terming it as a חוק, and employing the language of תלכו—to “go,” seem to

The Beraita tells us in Masechet Megillah, “Rabbi Shimon Ben Elazar said: Ezra enacted that the Jews should read the tochacha (rebuke) in Bechukotai two weeks before Shavuot and the tochacha in Ki Tavo two weeks before Rosh Hashanah.” What is the significance of reading these sections before Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah and why two weeks

We are about to observe the secular holiday of Mother’s Day. To some it is only a Hallmark card tradition. To others it is a chance to pause and appreciate all that our mothers have done for us.

Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) advises: “Listen, my child, to the rebuke of your father; and do not

(Courtesy of Cincinnati Kollel) The Cincinnati Community Kollel is excited to announce a new Mishna Yomi Shiur via WhatsApp starting the day after Shavuos. Take your Shavuos inspiration and put it into practice! Make the resolution to learn Shas Mishnayos.

Mishna Yomi, an approach to study all six

All rise!

What passes for popular understanding of synagogue rituals is often at variance with its true and halachic significance. A case in point is the lifting and dressing of the Torah known as hagbah and gelilah. Historically, the lifting and rolling of the Torah was done by one person. Recently,

Yoma 11a

You have found the house of your choice for the month of August. You were involved in a skiing accident and you are laid up in a private hospital room for months. You built a sukkah. You own a garage. Do you need a mezuzah for any of these?

“Write them on

It was sports day at school and Rivka won a lot of games and got a lot of pom poms. She walked over to Lisa and saw that she didn’t have any pom poms. “Where are all your pom poms?” Rivka asked. “ I didn’t win any,” she said quietly. “Poor girl,” thought Rivka. She felt so sad for her. That’s when she stood up, walked into

The festival of Lag B’Omer revolves around two celebrated personalities: Rabbi Akiva and his talmid, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. These two legends lived through the dark period of Roman conquest and oppression. Living through this crucial seam of Jewish history, they each steadied Judaism for the long, 2,000-year journey through the

Three years ago, I went to Eretz Yisrael in the summer along with my son. On our itinerary were visits to Meron and Tzfat so we could daven at the kivrei tzadikim. I was warned that Waze can direct you through Arab territories unless you adjust the settings to avoid those areas. I even asked someone to review the route Waze gave me to

Throughout the Torah we find completion and wholeness taking precedence over quantity. Thus a whole roll takes precedence over a much larger portion of a loaf of bread in the recitation of Hamotzi.

From this we learn that our avodah is measured not by quantity, but by how close it comes to perfection.

Have you ever met people and become curious who their parents are? Like, I wonder who their father and/or mother is!? I can imagine that amongst teachers, after being in the vicinity of their students for some time they are somewhat eager to see who the parents of these children are! It’s interesting that we may be curious so, because