The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating next Tuesday night (June 7th), is the only holiday in the Torah not listed by the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah teaches that…

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The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot is the only holiday not listed in the Torah by the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah teaches that this festival takes place on the day following the 49th day…

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Bows and Arrows

Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of nearly…

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What A Pretty Little

Appearances can be deceiving. Take little children, for instance. “What a pretty little girl” might be a misplaced compliment in many traditional communities where it is customary to…

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The Birthday of the World

According to Jewish tradition, this Saturday, Rosh Hashana, the world will be 5770 years old. This claim easily stirs up sharp debate. How, it is often asked, can one say that the world…

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The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating next Thursday night (May 28), is the only holiday not listed in the Torah by the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah instructed that…

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The Tragedy of Jealousy

The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) relates that “Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students...and all of them died in one period of time because they did not act with respect toward each other...they…

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Travelin’

Ever feel nervous just before the start of a trip? Ever have sleepless nights before boarding an airplane? Perhaps these hesitations connect back to a time when travel, whether by road or…

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The Feast of Weeks

Shavuot, which we begin celebrating this Sunday night (May 16, 2021), is the only holiday listed in the Torah without the date on which it is to be observed. Rather, the Torah states that…

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Bows and Arrows

Today, Lag Ba’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Its observance commemorates the end of a tragic plague that took the lives of all…

Read More