An Unusual Request for an Inheritance The feeling of missing out on an incredible opportunity is something that can be quite painful. That was the situation the five daughters of […]
Jewish Fasting Laws and Guidelines Jewish law is called halachah, from the Hebrew word holech, to walk. The laws of the Torah shine their light upon every part of our […]
The Message Behind the Plague of Snakes An intriguing episode in our parashah raises many questions. The Jews expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the mann (manna), resulting in a deadly […]
There is a Gemara (Talmud) in Ta’anit which has bothered me for many years. In it (23a), Rabbi Yochanan tells us that all his life, Choni HaMa’agal (of “circle-in-the-sand-until-it-rains” fame) […]
The Danger of Machloket In this week’s Torah reading, we are exposed to the awful consequences of machloket—unwarranted fighting. Korach gathered a following and challenged Moshe (Moses) over the appointment […]
A Plague and an Unusual Cure After Korach and his followers were swallowed alive by the earth, a fierce protest erupted against Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron). “You have killed […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz When my father passed away, he was buried in Jerusalem. I traveled there to be part of the funeral, but when it came time […]
What Is the Meaning of Tzitzit? Tzitzit is a mitzvah (Torah commandment) like no other. Not only is it considered equal to all 613 mitzvot, but each second we wear […]
This week’s Torah reading contains the mitzvah (commandment) of not straying after our eyes (Bamidbar 15:39). The Biur Halachah (1:1) states that this prohibition includes the general pursuit of materialistic […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz When we study Torah and Talmud, we spend so much time analyzing opinions that are not accepted in practice. Why are Talmud debates […]
