PIRQE ABOT 1:7, tell me who your friends are…
ניתאי הארבלי אומר הרחק משכן רע ואל תתחבר לרשע
ואל תתייאש מן הפורענות
To prepare ourselves for Shabu'ot, the day we received the Tora, it is customary...
MAIMONIDES on ABODA ZARA (11:12): Can we use the Tora to...
ויהיו חיים לנפשך משלי ג' כ"בIn Halakha 11:10 Maimonides writes about the enchanter or...
PESAH EVE: What do we have to do today?
Ta'anit Bekhorot (Fast of the first born) Today is Ta'anit bekhorot, the fast of the first born (seehere). Because this fast day is a custom (minhag)...
PESAH, Passed-over or protected?
ופסח ה' על הפתח ולא יתן המשחית לבא אל בתיכם לנגוף
Exodus 12:23
In order to persuade the Egyptians to let the Jewish people go out...
PESAH, how to have a succesuful SEDER?
Monday April 14th and Tuesday 15th at night, are probably the most important nights of the Jewish Calendar. During those nights we will fulfill...
PESAH, The night of the Seder (Part 2)
Yesterday, we began to explain the steps of the Seder. We discussed only the first part: 1. Qaddesh. 2. UrhatsWe wash our hands (netilat...
PESAH, the night of the Seder (part 1)
Throughout its symbolisms and traditions, the Seder of Pesah makes us feel the bitter experience of slavery and the sweetness of freedom. It invites...
PESAH, to sell or not to sell your Hamets?
...ובלבד שלא יערים
Historically, Sephardic Jews did not practice the mekhirat hamets (selling of Hamets) procedure. They got rid of it before Pesah began. The...
PESAH, psychological Hamets
השאור שבעיסה We have explained that during Pesah it is strictly forbidden to eat any food that is or contains Hamets. Why? Beyond the well...
PESAH, declaring our Hamets ownerless
ביטול וביעור חמץYesterday, we explained the Biblical prohibition of keeping any edible Hamets product in our premises and the obligation to get rid of all...
PESAH, searching for Hamets before Pesah eve
Yesterday, we explained the Biblical prohibition of keeping any eatable Hamets product in our premises (see this). To comply with these Mitsvot, first we...
PESAH Understanding the prohibition of owning Hamets during Pesah
What makes the prohibition of Hamets so unique is that, unlike other forbidden foods, it also includes the ban of its possession. There are two...
PESAH, Getting your kitchen ready for Pesah (2 of 2)
continuing from Friday (see this )Sink and countertops: The sink, countertops and kitchen-tables should be thoroughly cleaned before Pesah from any possible Hamets residue. Since in...
PESAH Getting your Kitchen ready for Pesah (1 of 2)
During Pesah, we do not use the same cooking utensils or tableware that we use year-round for Hamets. It is customary, and most...
PESAH, medicine and non-edible products
Sephardim are allowed to keep or use during Pesah any product which is non-edible, i.e., unfit for human or animal consumption, even...
PESAH, two differences between Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions
1. qiniyot. As we explained yesterday, the Ashkenazi custom is to refrain from eating rice and any other kind of seeds during Pesaḥ. This is...
PESAH, all about rice
Rice, corn and any seed, legume or grain which is not one of the five grains (wheat, rye, spelt, barley and oats) are not...
PESAH, what is and what is not Hamets?
Our father, Rabbi Yosef Bitton is in mourning for his father, Ya'aqob Ben Yehuda, sitting shib'a in Buenos Aires with his family, asked us...
PESAH, Hand made vs machine made matsa
מצות אכילת מצה
In general, when making a religious article or one of its accessories to be used for a Mitsva, this item must be done with...
PESAH, Regular Matsa or Matsa shemura?
מצות אכילת מצהMatsa (in English "Matzah") is a special unleavened bread made of a flat dough. The dough is prepared with flour and water,...
