Sefirat Haomer 5781

Sefirat Haomer – The Counting of the Omer When the Holy Temple stood, a daily sacrifice was brought every morning and evening. Our current morning prayer, שחרית  - Shacharit, corresponds to, and substitutes for, that morning sacrifice, and מנחה  -…

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Pesach II

Pesach II תשפא As we approach Pesach 2021, it is impossible not to think about Pesach 2020. Covid 19 was very new, a cure or vaccine was nowhere in sight, and families and friends were forced to celebrate the holiday…

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Pesach 5781

Pesach תשפא The Festival of Pesach is, by far, the Jewish calendar’s most celebrated holiday in. In terms of popularity, it trumps even Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the “High Holidays.” The theme of freedom that we celebrate on Pesach…

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Shabbat Hachodesh

החודש  - Shabbat HaChodesh On the last day of the month of Adar, just as the first sliver of the new moon signaling the beginning of Nissan appeared, Hashem taught Moshe and Aharon the Mitzvah of sanctifying the new month…

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Parshat Ki Tisa

Ki Tisa תשפא In this week’s parsha Ki Tisa, we meet the principal craftsman for the Tabernacle and all its accoutrements, Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur from the tribe of Judah. (Exodus 31:1-5) (א) וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: (ב)…

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Purim 5781

Purim תשפא Purim is the most festive and happy holiday in the Jewish calendar. It is the only holiday that carries with it an obligation to drink wine to the point that one doesn’t know the difference between “Cursed be…

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