Pesah, Sukkot and Sefirat HaOmer

As I have discussed in several earlier posts, the two seven-day festivals instituted by the Torah, Pesah and Sukkot, both address elements of our physical existence. Pesah changes our staple food from conventional bread to matsah. Sukkot alters our dwelling from a...

How Does Eruv Tavshilin Work?

In principle, it would be prohibited to prepare food on Yom Tov for consumption on Shabbat. To circumvent this restriction, the Rabbis instituted Eruv Tavshilin. Whenever a holiday falls out on a Friday – or, as in our case, Thursday and Friday – we take a...

Is Birkat HaChamma A Farce?

There has been much recent discussion, in the J-Blogosphere and elsewhere, of the rare and fascinating Birkat Hachamma or “Blessing of the Sun” that will be performed Wednesday morning. The very fact that this blessing is recited only once in a generation...

Laws of Pesah 5769

Back by popular demand, and simplified quite a bit this time. You can download the PDF Version or read it below. The original footnoted version can also be made available upon request (if you would like a copy, email me, and please be patient!). קיצור הלכות פסח...

Can Women Issue Halakhic Rulings?

(This is cross-posted on my Ask the Rabbi blog.)I was recently asked to respond to the question of whether a woman who is knowledgeable in Torah Law may issue rulings on matters of halakha. My answer, in brief, is contained in this post; I apologize in advance for my...
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