A Trap of Wealth
If I were a rich man…The most important men in town will come to fawn on me…When you’re rich they think you really know… The now classic words from the Broadway show “Fiddler on the Roof”…
Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel
The death of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, which occurred in 70 CE, on 20 Sivan, is part of the well-known and tragic episode of the deaths of the Ten Martyrs, that is included in the liturgy…
Ethics of the Fathers
Ethics – it’s a big word in our day and age. Between political corruption and financial misdeeds, it is easy to wonder what ever happened to even the most basic ethical standards.…
The Disputation of Paris
The month of June, in the year 1240 C.E. was not a good time for the Jews of Europe. The trouble began with a Jewish apostate named Nicholas Donin. Wanting, perhaps, to prove his loyalty…
How Fortunate We Are
Consider how lucky we are today to be able to study the Talmud freely in multiple languages with full translation.
The Importance of Dad
In honor of Father’s Day, Jewish Treats presents this classic Treat on the importance of a father. Where does a child learn to be a mentsch (a decent person)? From his/her parents!…
Make Me the High Priest
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a), relates the strange story of a non-Jewish man who wished to convert to Judaism in order to ultimately become the High Priest of Israel. He believed that, in this…
Kissing the Mezuzah
A person might easily think of the mitzvah of mezuzah as a passive mitzvah. Simply recite the blessing before affixing the mezuzah to the doorposts of the house, and it is done. While…
Jewish Matchmaking
“Matchmaker, matchmaker / Look through your book / And make me a perfect match…” (Fiddler on the Roof). With the widespread proliferation of internet dating sites such as eHarmony,…
Lag Ba’Omer
The period of mourning* (for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died of plague) that is associated with Sefirat Ha’Omer, is not observed on the 33rd day of the Omer, a day known as…