וַתִּלָּקַח אֶסְתֵּר אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, אֶל-בֵּית מַלְכוּתוֹ, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי, הוּא-חֹדֶשׁ טֵבֵת--בִּשְׁנַת-שֶׁבַע, לְמַלְכוּתוֹ The first words of the book of Esther mentions a date: The third year...

אחשורוש … בא לישב על כסא שלמה ולא הניחוהו The first thing that the book of Esther reports is about a party (mishte) that King...

"ויכתב מרדכי - היא המגילה הזאת כמות שהיא" We still have some time before Purim, and especially this year, 5779, that we have two months...

The most important event in Jewish history is the Exodus, the freedom from Egypt. We mention it during the Shema Israel, during Kiddush, during...

FROM SEPHARAD TO EGYPT Rabbi Ya’aqob Castro was a Tora scholar, a rabbinical judge, an author  and a leading lawmaker (poseq) in the Cairo Jewish...

  והאדם ידע את חוה אשתו Genesis 4: 1 Harmony between husband and wife is the fundamental basis of a Jewish home. In the Jewish family, men...

  LIFE IN ERETS ISRAEL in THE 16th CENTURY Rabbi Yosef of Terani (or "Miterani" רבי יוסף מטראני) was born in Safed, Israel, in 1569. He...

From FES to HEBRON Rabbi Abraham Azulay (also “Azulai) was born in the city of Fes, Morocco, in 1570. The city of Fes was a...

Rabbi Ya'aqob Kholi (many pronounce his surname incorrectly: Culi or Koli, etc.) was born in Yerushalayim in 1689. His father was Ribbi Makhir Kholi,...

HIS FAMILY Rabbi Hayim Vital was born in the city of Tsefat (Safed, Israel) in 1543. His father was Ribbi Yosef Vital, an expert scribe...