Fast of the Firstborn
There has always been a lot of pressure on firstborn children, as they were often expected to care for the family property or business in order to ensure stability within the community.…
Stingy?
Is being frugal a Jewish trait? After all, being “tight-fisted” is one of the most common slurs against Jews. One might think there is some truth to this statement when reading in Sotah…
The First Jewish Lawyer
The study of law appears to attract a disproportionate number of Jews, perhaps because expounding arguments, pro and con, is one of the great pleasures of Talmudic discourse. In fact, one…
Chmielnicki Pogroms
Unfortunately, no one can argue with the statement that Jewish history is filled with tragedy. Few of these tragedies, excluding the Holocaust, were as devastating and catastrophic for…
Fast of the Firstborn
There has always been a lot of pressure on firstborn children, as they were often expected to care for the family property or business in order to ensure stability within the community.…
The Company You Keep
Immediately following the morning blessings, there is a short prayer that asks God for protection from “arrogant people and arrogance itself, from a bad person, a bad companion, a bad…
Jews and the American Revolution
In 1776, there were approximately 2,000 Jews in America. This rather small part of the population took an active role in the American Revolution. One company of soldiers in South…
The Reward of Honoring Shabbat
According to the wisdom of the sages, there is no way to “over-spend” on Shabbat. As it is said, “One who lends to Shabbat, Shabbat repays him!”(Shabbat 119a). “Lending to Shabbat” does…
The Purim Story in Under 300 Words
At the end of a 180-day feast, the Persian-Medean King Achashverosh executed his wife, Vashti, for refusing to appear at his banquet. Achashverosh staged an elaborate beauty contest to…
We’re Not Taking Care of Business
On Shabbat, the Jewish people are commanded: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Shabbat for the Lord your God; you shall not do any work” (Exodus…