Damage control on hatred – What is Love?
13th of Cheshvan, 5771Last week we explained that the Torah commands us to 'love' our fellow men as we love ourselves. 'Love' means to...
FISH and meat
12th of Cheshvan, 5771
Mixing fish and meat together is not restricted by Biblical law.
However, the Rabbis of the Talmud considered it a harmful mixture,...
‘My father’s honor is not for sale’
10th of Cheshvan, 5771Respecting one's parents means: avoiding anything which would bother them or would make them feel uncomfortable.For example, it is forbidden to...
Cooking vs. Warming (Part 1)
7th of Cheshvan, 5771
There are 39 melakhot (creative activities) which should not be done on Shabbat. One of them is cooking(bishul). 'Bishul' includes all...
Buying Kosher fish from a local fish store
5th of Cheshvan, 5771Can I buy fillet from a local fish store, which is not under rabbinical supervision? To answer this question, there are...
Understanding the Amida (2nd Berakha)
The second berakha (blessing) of the Amida, is called Geburot (God's powers). This blessing describes God's infinite (leolam) might, which He employs to nurture,...
How do we love ourselves?
3rd of Cheshvan, 5771'And you shall love your fellow man as you love yourself'. (Vaykra 18, 19) It is really challenging to swallow that...
Naming your baby after your parents.
As we've explained, there are two Mitzvot which regulate our relationship with our parents: 'yir'a' -respect- what we cannot do to our parents, and...
Understanding the 1st berakha of the Amida
The first berakha of the Amida is known as 'abot' (ancestors) and it refers to God's protection of the Jewish people. In this berakha...
KIBBUD HORIM: Love and authority
26th of Tishri, 5771
HONORING ONE'S PARENTS:The difference between 'respect' and 'honor'.
Two Mitzvot regulate children/parents relationship. The first one is kabbed et abikha ve-et imekha...
VIDUY: Why should I confess my sins in plural?
17th of Elul, 5770
As I’ve mentioned before, there are different texts of the Viduy (confession). In all versions, however, the transgressions are mentioned in...
VIDUY: Specific and personalized.
16th day of Elul, 5770
There is a discussion among the rabbis regarding the performance of the Mitzva of Viduy, confession of our sins. Should...
VIDUY: Becoming aware of our misdeeds
15th of Elul, 5770
There is no fixed text for the Viduy (confession). There are several versions of it, some more or less detailed and...
VIDUY: Understanding the basics
14th of Elul, 5770
Yesterday we explained that the process of Teshuva is done by the Mitzva of Viduy, confession of our transgressions.
Maimonides says:
‘How does...
VIDUY: ‘Confessing our sins’ is the deepest admission.
13th of Elul, 5770
The Mitzvah of Teshuba –repentance- takes place when we recite the Viduy. Viduy means ‘confession’, and it consists on the articulation...
TESHUBA: Being your own judge… and declaring yourself guilty
Today is the 9th of Elul, 5770
Taking responsibility for our mistakes -hakarat haChet- is the first, and probably the hardest step in the process...
Hakarat haChet and the Jewish version of the ‘original’ sin.
Today is the 7th day of Elul, 5770
The first step in the process of Teshuba, repentance, is hakarat haChet-- taking responsibility for our mistakes...
TESHUBA: What’s in a word?
Today is the 6th day of Elul, 5770
The concept of Teshuba cannot be translated into English with a single word.
The literal meaning of the...
SELIHOT: The 13 attributes of God’s compassion
The core of the Selichot prayer is the Biblical text ‘Amonay, Amonay, E-l Rachum veChanun….”. These words are known as the 13 attributes of...
SELICHOT: Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions
Today is the 2nd day of Elul, 5770
As we mentioned yesterday, during the month of Elul until Yom Kippur the Sepharadic custom is to...
