Delighting in the Ordinary This week’s Torah reading describes the exciting moment of when the Jews were finally freed from Egypt. We can only imagine the great excitement which filled […]
Judaism 101
Judaism 101 offers insight into the beliefs, practices, and history of Judaism, providing a solid foundation for further study.
A Surprising Mitzvah for a Non-Kosher Animal Among the thousands of species of animals on the planet, the donkey stands apart in a most surprising way. Despite being a non-kosher […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Can a person be too religious, “too frum,” in their commitment to Torah and mitzvot (Torah commandments)? Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds: What Does […]
Why Didn’t Moshe Perform the First Plagues? The time had come for the Egyptians to be held accountable for the suffering they had inflicted upon the Jewish people. God decreed […]
After many years of oppression and crushing labor, the long-awaited moment arrived: Klal Yisrael (the Jewish nation) was ready for redemption. Moshe’s Reluctance to Lead Moshe Rabbeinu (our leader, Moses) […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz My family has a tradition to commemorate yahrtzeits (nachalot– anniversaries of death) with a seudah (meal) at a restaurant, together with friends. But it has become very expensive, […]
Why Are We Called Yehudim? Have we ever stopped to consider why the Jewish people are called Yehudim? After all, Yehudah was not the firstborn—he was the fourth son of […]
Yaakov’s Final Blessings and the Language of Animals What does it mean that Yaakov (Jacob) compared some of his sons to animals? In this week’s Torah reading Yaakov calls all […]
Exploring the reason behind our desire to fit in Yosef’s Strategy in Presenting His Brothers to Pharaoh In this week’s Torah reading, Parshas Vayigash, the family of Yaakov (Jacob) moves […]
The Emotional Reunion of Yaakov and Yosef Words can hardly capture the emotion that Yaakov (Jacob) must have felt when he was finally reunited with his beloved son Yosef (Joseph) […]