Disagreeing, Agreeably! Every so often, the Jewish world is rocked by a new religious war. On one side are the innovators, reformers, deviators, and on the other, the traditionalists, the [usually self-appointed] “keepers of the flame”. This is not a new phenomenon, but rather one which is a natural product…
Hanukkah is the holiday of miracles. One last jug of oil was found in the Temple, it was enough to light the Menorah for eight days, and a small group of religious, pious men, were able to defeat the mighty armies of the Greek empire. I believe, however, that the…
This Shabbat marks seventy-five years of the passing away of my great [literally] grandfather, and I would like to dedicate this article to him. The rabbinic roots of the Fetaya family can be traced back to Hakham Reuven David Nawi (1770-1821). Hakham Reuven was disciple of Hakham Moshe Haim, the…
Esther: No Makeup The Book of Esther was written for the stage. Each scene is elaborately presented with a description of the setting, the decoration, the protagonists and the dialogue. There are main characters which appear in pairs: King and Queen I, King and Queen II, Queen II and Mordechai,…
Biblical Sources Among the many issues readers have mentioned in their queries were the role of mandatory prayer in schools, the amount of time dedicated daily to prayers, the difficulty of finding meaning, length, repetition, inability to understand the words, and the judgmental approach towards, or the feelings of guilt…
Rosh HaShana “Seder” and symbolic actions On both nights of Rosh HaShana, it is customary to bring to the table special foods, known as Simanim or symbols. These foods include apple and honey, pomegranate, and dates, among others. There is no need to eat them, and they are rather meant…
קִידוּשׁ לְרֹאשׁ הַשָׁנָה Hold a cup of wine and recite the Kiddush: וּבְי֨וֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶ֥ם וּֽבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֘ וּבְרָאשֵׁ֣י חָדְשֵׁיכֶם֒ וּתְקַעְתֶּ֣ם בַּחֲצֹֽצְרֹ֗ת עַ֚ל עֹ֣לֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְעַ֖ל זִבְחֵ֣י שַׁלְמֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לְזִכָּרוֹן֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם: On your festive days and on the new month, you shall sound the horn as you bring your…
A New Commentary on the Book of Ruth Introduction: This commentary focuses on the personal and social message of the book of Ruth, and specifically on the personality or Ruth and her relationships with Naomi. My working assumption is that Naomi was a unique and brave woman, and that Ruth,…
My nephew Yosef is a charming young man with a wide smile, who at twenty-one appears to be no older than fourteen. He is affectionate, but shy and unassuming, and up until a short while ago, could easily blend in the throngs of shoppers at the Mahane Yehudah Shuk, not…
Shemot 2017 Righteous women! Because of their merit, the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt. This beautiful statement, found in the Babylonian Talmud (Sotah 11:2), suggests that women played a pivotal role in the Exodus. We read it and think “well, no one can claim that the Rabbis tried to marginalize…