Grammatic Multiples
Whereas grammar in most languages is generally assumed to be important because it creates structure and order, Biblical grammar also has a powerful effect on the meaning of a text. For…
Birthday Cake For Shabbat
It is highly unlikely that Moses, Hillel or even Maimonides (all experts on Jewish law) ever worried about what to write on a child’s birthday cake.But different societies have different…
It’s The Interpretation
From a distance, halacha, Jewish law, appears to be black and white. In reality, however, much of Jewish law is left to the interpretation of experts. A person with a legal question (such…
Read This Blueprint Please
Most people can understand the layout and basic measurements of a building from its blueprint. But it takes an expert--an architect or an engineer--to use those blueprints to build a…
Birthday Cake For Shabbat
It is highly unlikely that Moses, Hillel even Maimonides (all experts on Jewish law) ever worried about what to write on a child’s birthday cake. But different societies have different…
The Friday Night Feast
With candles burning brightly and fine wine for kiddush, Friday night dinner is a meal that is designed for “atmosphere.” However, the actual fare of Shabbat dinner varies, depending on…
Wash and Dry
The miracles of modern science have made us aware of the vast world of micro-organisms that previous generations never knew existed. We now know that there are good bacteria that help us…
Happy Bow Tie Day
Bow Tie Day is celebrated annually on August 28th. The bow tie originated in the 17th century with Croatian soldiers who wore them as part of their uniforms in the Thirty Year War. The…
Always (Kosher) Coca Cola!
I’d bet you never heard of the Pemberton Medicine Company! Perhaps you have heard of the company into which it was incorporated on January 15th, 1889? That would be the Coca Cola Company…
The Heel and the Parachute
The title of this week’s parasha, Eikev, is one of the more difficult parasha names to properly translate. The word “eikev” connotes connotes the word “therefore,” so the opening three…