It’s Raining Wheat
Although Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs sounds like pure fiction, unusual “food rain” events have, at times, been reported. In 2011, residents of Coundon, England, described a bizarre incident in which numerous…
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Shabbos and Yom Tov
Chanukah
Neiros Chanukah, the miracle of the oil and pirsumei nisa.
Tumult Over Tadir
Shimon and Boruch had just closed their Gemaras after finishing the daf. Boruch leaned back with a grin. “Wow,” he said. “Today’s daf was incredible. We just learned tadir v’she’eino tadir, tadir kodem in Zevachim 89.
The Candles Burning Bright
Last week’s daf article about Rosh Hashana was timed perfectly. This week’s article…not so much. Still, there’s a strong connection. The Kohen Gadol performed all of the Avodah on Yom Kippur, including lighting the…
A More Mehudar Mitzvah
Rav Mordechai Finkelman, mashgiach of Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim, received a generous offer from a friend. The friend offered to build Rav Finkelman a sukkah that would be part of his house.
How Far Would You Go for Cocoa Bombs?
Some may know of the latest food craze, hot cocoa bombs. There is something people find comforting about dropping these bombs in hot milk, watching them “explode,” thereby releasing their hot cocoa mix and marshmallows.
Pesachim 16a: Fueling the Flames of Chanukah
Those who studied the daf this week were forced to challenge their long-rooted understanding of the finer points of the Chanukah miracle.
Sparking Debate
A nice Chanukah present might be the FlashTorch. It’s billed as the world’s brightest flashlight, sporting 4,100 lumens of power. Interestingly, it comes with a safety switch.
Mitzvah Mission
R’ Pinchas ben Yair was on his way to fulfill the mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim; he came to the Gina’i River and asked it to split for him so that he could continue traveling.
Lighting the Menorah
In the stores these days, there are myriad varieties of candles and oils to use for Chanukah lights. However, it is clear that the choicest way to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the menorah is to use olive oil.
A Burning Question
When Chanukah time comes around, I am always reminded of the Beis Yosef’s famous question: Why did the Sages institute eight days of Chanukah to commemorate the miracle that the oil lasted for eight days?
Waxing About Oil
It is well-known that there is a hiddur mitzvah to light a Chanukah menorah using olive oil. After all, the miracle of the menorah occurred with olive oil.
The Gist Of The Jugs
Rabbah bar Bar Channa met an Arab merchant. The merchant said to him, “Come, I will show you the men of Korach that were swallowed up.” He showed him two cracks that emitted smoke.
Who Knows Eight?
I am taking a brief Chanukah vacation from the daf yomi-themed articles. There is a famous question known as “the Beis Yosef’s kasha.” During the time of the Chanukah miracle, the Jews found enough oil to last one day.
Standing Tall
What do Chanukah and Purim have to do with daf yomi Sukkah? Maseches Sukkah begins with the halachah that a sukkah that is taller than 20 amos (between 30 and 40 feet) is invalid.
Rules For Temple Tools
Is a Jewish household allowed to have a metal table? That’s a ridiculous question, right? What could possibly be the problem? But the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 24a–b) states that one should not make a courtyard…
Gemara stories on Chanukah
Rav Chaim Brisker Never Asked the Question
A young man worked hard on an answer to Rav Chaim Brisker's famous question about miraculous Chanukah oil, only to hear Rav Chaim say he never asked it.
The Jug of Oil and the Chanukah Miracle
The Greeks defile the Beis HaMikdash oil, but the Chashmonaim find one sealed jug, enough for a single day, which miraculously burns for eight.