Jewish Treats

Request Wisdom and Guidance

The decision whether to use diplomacy, prayer or action or all three is not an easy one. Consider approaching a rabbi to seek wisdom and request guidance when faced with a particularly…

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Jewish Treats

The Story of Chanukah

Around the year 167 B.C.E., the Syrian-Greek rulers of Judea tried to force the Jews to assimilate into Hellenic culture. They summoned the Jews to the town squares where they were forced…

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Jewish Treats

These Lights We Kindle

While the mitzvah of lighting the menorah is an outward-focused mitzvah – the menorah is lit in a window or doorway – it is also an opportunity for personal reflection on the deeper…

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Jewish Treats

The Chanukiyah

The term “menorah” is used for both the classic symbol of the holiday of Chanukah and the great seven-branched candelabra that was built in the wilderness following explicit Divine…

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Jewish Treats

Chanukah Yum

While Jewish holidays are known for their food (except Yom Kippur, of course), most of them are not known for being particularly healthy. Chanukah is no exception. Forget matzah or…

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Jewish Treats

Accepting Wisdom

“Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? An individual who learns from all people, as it is said (Psalms 119:99): ‘From all those who taught me, I gained understanding’” (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the…

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Jewish Treats

The Final Analysis

After the soul departs, it journeys to the gates of heaven where it must present its case for entry. The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) states, “When an individual is brought before the Heavenly…

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Jewish Treats

A Jar of Manna

As discussed in this week’s Torah Portion, parashat B’shalach, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, there were few things more miraculous than the manna, the food from heaven…

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Jewish Treats

Everyday Miracles

While the manna that descended from heaven was certainly miraculous, recognize how many miracles occur all around us on any given day. The manna that the Jewish nation received each day…

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Jewish Treats

Jonas Phillips: Living in the Revolution

A few weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the British blockade intercepted a communication from Jonas Phillips to a relative on the Dutch Island of St. Estatius.…

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