A Maccabee Who’s Who
Mattityahu (Mattathias): A High Priest descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks…
Who Was Hagar?
Stating simply that Hagar was the second wife of Abraham and the mother of Ishmael simplifies an incredibly complex character whose emotions and motivations are fleshed out in the Oral…
Those Who Can…Teach And Do
Among the many wise statements recorded in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers is the following from Rabbi Ishmael the son of Yochanan: “He who learns in order to teach will be enabled both…
It’s Who You Know
If you know a nice Jewish guy for a nice Jewish gal, make a casual introduction.
Who Was Rabbi Akiva?
Akiva ben Yosef was once an ignorant and illiterate shepherd. So poor and downtrodden a figure was Akiva that his extremely wealthy father-in-law disinherited Akiva’s wife, Rachel, for…
Who Knows One?
How does one transmit basic theology in a fun manner to tired seder guests? The answer is--with song. Many see this as one of the purposes of the Nirtzah, the final section of the…
Who Lights The Shabbat Candles?
While lighting Shabbat candles is generally considered a “woman’s mitzvah,” and is traditionally performed by the woman of the house, it is actually an obligation of the entire household.…
The Whole Megillah
Whether it’s a long-winded tale, or a story overloaded with details--it’s called a “whole megillah!” (In “the old country” they would have said “a gantse megillah!”) So what exactly is a…
Who Was Mordechai?
There are some people in this world who always seem to be right in the thick of the action. As described in the Book of Esther, this was Mordechai. It is Mordechai’s niece who is chosen…
Follow Those Who Know
Follow the advice of Jossie ben Joezer of Tzeredah, who said: "Let your house be a meetinghouse for the sages and sit amid the dust of their feet" (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the…