When the 9th of Ab falls on Shabbat
This year, 2012, the 9th of the month of Ab falls on Shabbat (from Friday July 27th at night, until Saturday July 28th at...
Music during the three weeks (Part 2)
Yesterday we saw the opinion of Rabbi Eli'ezer Melamed regarding playing or listening to music during the three weeks. The thrust of his opinion...
Music during the three weeks (Part 1)
Yesterday we explained that during the three weeks between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Ab we keep certain traditions of mourning...
The fast of Seventeenth of Tamuz (4:19 AM-8:58 PM)
This coming Sunday July 8th we commemorate the Seventeenth of Tamuz. A day in which five tragedies happened to the Jewish people (see here) √ The...
The fast of seventeenth of Tamuz (Part 2)
This coming Sunday we commemorate the Seventeenth of Tamuz. A day in which five tragedies happened to the Jewish people (see here)We fast and...
THE FAST OF THE 17th of TAMUZ
This coming Sunday, July 8th, we will commemorate the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz. (The fast is moved from Shabbat Tamuz 17th to ...
RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Fictitious invitations
Last week we explained the prohibition of genebat da'at, to steal people's mind. Which means among other things, to make someone feel that we care...
The bridal gown
The Talmud describes how two thousand years ago brides were made up and perfumed as to enhance their beauty. The Midrash speaks of twenty-four...
SHABBAT: From fire to electricty (Part 4)
The main discussion among contemporary rabbis on the issue of electricity on shabbat is not if using electricity is permitted or forbidden: every Orthodox...
THE 13 PRINCIPLES: # 8: The divine origin of the Tora
In the commentary to the Mishna, where Maimonides formulated for the first time the Thirteen Principles of Judaism, he included within the Eighth principle...
SEPHARDIC RABBIS: Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel (1880-1953)
Rabbi Uziel was the Sephardic Cheif rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine, succeeding rabbi Ya'aqob Meir (see here) from 1939 to 1948, and the...
RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Stealing people’s mind
Last week we explained the nature of the prohibition of genebat da'at (see here). We defined genebat da'at as stealing people's minds. genebat da'at...
SHABBAT: From fire to electricity (Part 3)
Previously, we have explained that lighting a fire on Shabbat is one of the 39 forbidden works or melakhot (see here). In order to...
THE EIGHTH PRINCIPLE: The Tora is from Heaven
Last week we explained that the Eighth of the 13 Principles of Judaism asserts that the Tora that we now have is the same...
RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Stealing people’s mind
In the previous weeks we explained the prohibition of lying. Today we will start to explore a similar concept which is called in Hebrew...
Gold, silver, and stones
We explained previously that the general custom today in most Jewish communities is to use a ring for the act of Kiddushin (see here), which...
THE 13 PRINCIPLES: #8. The accuracy of the Biblical Text
The Eighth of the Thirteen principles of Jewish faith asserts that the Tora which at present time is in our possession is the same...
Emmanuel Hai Ricci (1688-1743)
Rabbi Ricci (or Riqi) was born in Ferrara, Italy. When he was six his father died and his mother's brother, Jedidia Rabbino, undertook to...
RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY: Can we lie to avoid embarrasment?
The Tora instructed us to stick to the truth and stay away from lies. We have already seen, however, that in some exceptional cases...
HUPA: Why the ring?
As we previously explained, it is an ancient custom to use a ring for the wedding ceremony to do the Kiddushin or consecration of...
