“וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכׇּל בָּנָיו כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים” And Yisrael (Yaakov) loved Yosef more than all his sons because he was a son […]
Judaism 101
Judaism 101 offers insight into the beliefs, practices, and history of Judaism, providing a solid foundation for further study.
What is the most appropriate age for the Upsherin haircut? In most communities, the Upsherin (haircut) is done on the son’s third birthday. Like A Tree We find a source […]
Unnecessary Precautions In this week’s Torah reading, Yaakov (Jacob) prepared to meet his brother Eisav (Esau). Yaakov was returning to his homeland, where Eisav lived, after being away for many […]
And Sit There The verse in this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Vayishlach, says (35:1), “And God said to Yaakov (Jacob), “Get up and go up to Beit-El and sit there, […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz I sometimes find myself committing aveirot (sins) that serve no real purpose for me, such as gossiping about people. I understand why I desire physical pleasures, but what is driving me […]
One of the hardest of the Ten Commandments is the direction that we not be jealous. Not killing, not stealing, not worshiping idols? I think most of us feel pretty […]
Why is the first haircut so significant in Jewish tradition? When a Jewish man receives a haircut, he must be sure not to completely remove his pe’ot (side locks). The […]
First Haircut Chalakah or Upsherin1 refers to the Jewish custom of cutting a boy’s hair at his third birthday.2 In many Jewish communities, they refrain from cutting a young boy’s […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Every year, as we light our menorah, my children express their disappointment that our little flames seem so insignificant next to all the […]
Power Prayers On each day of Chanukah, we recite the full Hallel during Shacharit prayers. This beautiful tefillah, often sung, is a heartfelt expression of praise and gratitude to Hashem […]
