Showing posts with label Jewish Law and Practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewish Law and Practice. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2025

Two Years and Home Again: Hostages, Grief, Gratitude, and the Torah’s Timeless Rhythm

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October 7, 2023, is a day that will live in infamy in the Jewish world. It was the day that Hamas terrorists came into Israel to kidnap, tor...
Thursday, March 13, 2025

What's Behind the Custom of Jews Wearing Costumes on Purim?

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Tonight starts the Jewish holiday of Purim. I admit that Purim is one of my least favorite holidays. I am especially not a fan of the wearin...
Thursday, March 6, 2025

Why the Jewish Symbolism Surrounding Bread?: A Look at the Hamotzi Blessing

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I was recently doing a chevruta study session with a dear friend of mine. We have been studying a 13th-century Jewish text called Sefer HaYi...
Thursday, November 14, 2024

Why Do Jews Traditionally Perform a Ritual Immersion for Kitchen Dishes?

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This past Monday, I had a day off work for Veterans Day. What did I do for my day off? I went to the mikveh, a bath used for ritual immersio...
Sunday, September 24, 2023

Ahavnu Vidui: Why Yom Kippur Could Also Use a Confession of the Good We Have Done

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Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The central part of Yom Kippur liturgy is the con...
Thursday, August 24, 2023

Yes, Judaism Has a Blessing for Going to the Bathroom: The Significance of the Asher Yatzar Blessing

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"When you gotta go, you gotta go." Having to go to the bathroom is an essential function of the human condition. Such a seemingly ...
Thursday, December 22, 2022

Can You Light an Electric Menorah on Chanukah? And Why Does It Matter?

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Chanukah is the Jewish festival of lights to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition, ...
Sunday, January 30, 2022

The Jewish Prayer Modeh Ani Is Much More Than Saying Thanks

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How we wake up in the morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Research shows that morning routines can increase productivity, low...
Monday, September 6, 2021

Apples Dipped in Honey on Rosh Hashanah: Finding Goodness and Sweetness in the New Year

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In many cultures, the New Year symbolizes a time of renewal, celebration, and new beginnings. The Jewish religion is no exception . Judaism ...
Sunday, September 9, 2018

My Favorite Reasons for Blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah

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As the late Aretha Franklin said , "Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It's transporting, for sure. It can take you ri...
Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Why I Don't Mourn on the Omer and What I Intend to Do Instead

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I consider myself a traditionalist Jew who does his best to follow the halacha . I cannot pretend that I understand every practice under Jew...
Thursday, June 15, 2017

Parsha Shelach: The Spiritual Fringe Benefits of Wearing Tzitzit Are in the Details

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"Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them." Marc Jacobs might be a gay, non-observant Jewish fashion designer, but he has ...
Thursday, March 9, 2017

Parsha Tetzaveh: Holy Golden Headband, Batman!

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"Clothing makes the man." We certainly see that in this week's Torah portion, Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10). For over 40 verse...
Monday, August 22, 2016

Adding The Matriarchs in the Amidah Prayer and Fixed Versus Spontaneous Jewish Prayer

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It was recently when I was studying Mishneh Torah, Maimonides' legal magnum opus. We started on the chapter about prayers ( Tefillah u...
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