Forget The Top Forties
Thousands of years ago, the sages created a top ten song list of the important songs recited in the Tanach (Bible). Straight from the Midrashic collection of the Mechilta of Rabbi Ishmael…
After A Snack
After eating a meal with bread, Birkat Hamazon/Bentching/Grace After Meals is recited as a way to thank and acknowledge God’s gift of sustenance. But what does one recite after eating a…
Art for Art’s Sake
If there were a Cliff Notes version of the Ten Commandments, Commandment #2 would simply read: “You shall have no other Gods before me.” But, in truth, the commandment itself is more…
Avinu – Our Father
One of the most common ways of addressing God in the Jewish liturgy is Avinu, our Father. By addressing God as Avinu, one can not only learn about humanity’s relationship with God, but…
Aishet Chayil and Esther
On Friday nights it is customary to sing a selection of verses from the final chapter of the Book of Proverbs (31:10-31) known as Aishet Chayil, A Woman of Valor. At this time of year…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Requests
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The sixteenth blessing is the final blessing in the section of the Amidah that focuses on requests. It…
Remembering the Akeidah
In neither of the two Torah references to the holiday of Rosh Hashana (Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:1), is there a specific mention of the shofar,…
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…
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…
Over The Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow...Well, we all know that there is no real place over the rainbow! After all, a rainbow is caused by the refraction of light during the rain. But when you see a…