Mirror, mirror….. Maimonides on ‘aboda zara 11:6
In MT Hilkhot 'aboda zara 11:4 Maimonides dealt with the definition of nihush, or reading events or natural phenomena as divine signs from God. In 11:6 Maimonides...
Tora Reading for Hanukka
During the eight days of Hanukka we read the Tora in the morning. Now, what Biblical text was chosen by the Rabbis to be...
Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Hanukka and Barekh ‘alenu
Besides Hanukka, today we also celebrate Rosh Hodesh Tebet. Our prayers are longer than usual for a weekday. Today, same as yesterday, we say ya'ale...
SPECIAL EDITION: Celebrating Thanksgiving, a Sephardic perspective
For Rabbi Sabato Morais (1823-1897), one of the most prominent orthodox Rabbis in 19th century America (see this), celebrating Thanksgiving was a no-brainer. In his...
Rabbi David ben Zimra (1479-1573)
Rabbi David ben Zimra, known as the Radbaz (רדב"ז) was born in Spain in 1479. At the age of 13, when the Jews were...
KASHRUT: Buying fish from a local store
Can I buy filleted fish from a local fish store, which is not under rabbinical supervision? There are two issues we should bear in mind...
MAIMONIDES on ‘aboda zara, 11:4. Judging Eli’ezer
Last week we explained that the Tora forbids nihush -divination- the reading of divine signs in natural or trivial events or in certain arbitrary signals that...
SHABBAT: Treating a medical condition on Shabbat
Last week we discussed the cases of medical emergencies on Shabbat. We explained that when we know or even suspect that the patient's life...
When does HaShem reject our prayers?
ישעיה פרק א15. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even when you offer to me many prayers, I...
Rabbi Abraham Zacuto (1452-1515)
Rabbi Abraham Zacuto was born in Salamanca, Spain in 1452. He studied Tora with his father Shemuel Zacuto and with rabbi Isaac Abohab. He...
