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 […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Why is the Jewish nation divided into twelve shevatim (tribes), something that in time led to division and even war? Wouldn’t it have […]
Life in the Wilderness: Surrounded by Miracles Life in the desert was a unique type of existence. It was an effortless life, where all of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish nation)’s […]
The Jews Complained Despite Their Blessings In this week’s Torah reading, as the Jews traveled through the desert on their way to the Land of Israel, they started to complain […]
