Boundary Stones and Unfair Competition in Jewish Law
In parshat Shoftim in the book of Deuteronomy, the Torah teaches that, “You shall not move your fellow’s landmarks, set up by previous generations, in the property that will be allotted…
Ordaining with Both Hands
Semicha, which connotes rabbinic ordination, as understood today, consists of passing proficiency exams and receiving permission from one’s teachers to rule on questions of Jewish law.…
Of Shamrocks, Snails and Survivors: the life of Rabbi Isaac Herzog
Rabbi Isaac Herzog, the State of Israel’s first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, passed away, at age 70, on this date - the 19th of Tammuz – sixty years ago, in 1959, corresponding to July 25th.…
Yiddish in Shanghai
During World War II, Japanese-occupied Shanghai, China, became a haven for Jewish refugees, most notably the students from the Mirrer Yeshiva. After the “Battle of Shanghai” in 1937, the…
Study Laws Pertaining to the Messianic Era
One of the principles of Judaism is to believe in the coming of a Messiah, a new Jewish king. Studying laws pertaining to that era fulfils this principle.
The Littlest Mountain
When the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai, God gave them the Torah.Scholars and academics have spent lifetimes debating the exact location of Mount Sinai. The Sinai peninsula is…
Bechukotai 5779-2019
“The Big ‘IF.’ The Gift of Free Choice” (Revised and updated from Bechukotai 5760-2000) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week’s parasha, parashat Bechukotai, is one of the…
Tripping the Vision Impaired
Parashat Kedoshim contains a total of 51 mitzvot. One of those mitzvot pertains to the prohibition of taking advantage of the disadvantaged. “You shall not curse a deaf person and you…
Hail to the Chief
“A blessing for the czar? Of course. May God bless and keep the czar... far away from us.” So jokes the rabbi of Anatevka during the opening number of Fiddler on the Roof. This was a real…
Manna from Military Aircraft?
Is there a connection between “Manna,” the food from heaven that sustained the Children of Israel in the Sinai wilderness, and a World War II humanitarian military operation? On the…