SHABBAT: Understanding Shabbat Candle lighting
Lighting candles before Shabbat begins is a Rabbinical, not a Biblical commandment. The Rabbis saw that many times, people would forget to leave the...
The 13 principles of Judaism. # 12: The Jewish Messiah
Maimonides explains that if a Jewish political leader possesses these three characteristics he has the potential to be the Mashiaḥ. He has to be...
Rabbi Refael Aharon ben Shimon (1847-1928)
As we said last week (see here) Rabbi Ben Shimon wrote many responsas about the new inventions of his time. As the highest authority in...
TEFILA: zoqef kefufim, the Rabbis’ version of Homo Erectus
כשעומד מברך: ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם, זוקף כפופים
When a person stands up straight --when he or she wakes up in the morning--...
American Rabbis on celebrating New Year’s Day
We have written in previous HOTD about the views of modern orthodox rabbis regarding the celebration of different American holidays (see here). All rabbis...
Rabbi Refael Aharon ben Shimon (1847-1928)
Rabbi Refael Aharon ben Shimon was born in Rabat, Morocco in 1847. In 1854 he came to Israel with his father, Rabbi David ben Shimon,...
TEFILA: matir asurim, appreciating our ability to move
ברוך אתה ה´ אלוקינו מלך העולם מתיר אסורים
The expression matir asurim, "HaShem sets free those who are imprisoned" appears in the book of Psalms...
The Tenth of Tebet and the Kaddish haKelaly
This coming Friday, December 25th 2012, we observe the fast of the Tenth of Tebet. We remember the siege of Yerushalaim, in the year...
The Tenth of Tebet and the Greek Translation of the Tora
Yesterday we mentioned two of the three events that we remember in the Tenth of Tebet (see here). Once again, it is important to clarify...
