In a Pickle
In the “you can’t make this stuff up” department, 35-year-old Bobby Bolen of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced to 54 days in prison plus probation after barging into his then-friend Lee’s home, throwing him on the couch…
Loading…
Tefillah and Berachos
Hamotzi and Bread
Bread, Hamotzi, salt on the table and the meal as a mizbeach.
The Watermelon Mystery: From Chullin to the Dessert Table
A friend of mine once noticed a peculiar habit of his mother-in-law: whenever watermelon was served for dessert at a Shabbos meal, she would always eat it with a challah.
Fresh, Hot Challah
I received a question about whether it is preferable to bake five pounds of flour once every three weeks, thereby fulfilling the mitzvah of hafrashas challah, and serve frozen challah for the subsequent weeks, or to…
Worth Its Salt
Every Shabbos night seudah at the Cohen household was special. This particular week, the air was thick with the aroma of kugel and roast chicken, but for Uncle Dov, there was one singular, pressing priority.
The Emperor’s Used Clothes – For the Aron Kodesh?
As the French army retreated from the frozen outskirts of Moscow in 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, the man who had once rearranged the map of Europe, was reduced to a fugitive.
The Greatest Article Since Sliced Bread?
In the hierarchy of human achievement, there is a very specific, crusty yardstick by which all modern innovation is measured. Forget the moon landing, electricity, or the discovery of penicillin.
A Challah Covering Quiz
The Daf this week touched on the practice of covering the challah before the Shabbos meal (Pesachim 100a-b). Three reasons are offered for this practice. Tosfos cites two of them. The first is from Rav Achai Gaon.
Breaking Bread
It is customary to slice the challah on Shabbos before reciting Ha’motzi. The source of this halacha comes from a wicked king. Discussing the origins of this halacha never grows stale.
A Cornucopia of Blessings
The Daf this week and specifically Tosfos’s explanation (Gittin 83a and 84a) deal with a paradox of sorts. The result of an action causes that very action to be invalid, which accordingly negates the result.
Eat but Don’t Overeat
The topic of overeating is discussed in the daf this week (Gittin 70a). The Gemara quotes a beraisa that states, “One who fills his belly with anything will become sick.” Rashi explains that eating as much as one…
Of Gefilte Fish Balls and Trees on Cakes
An Inwood resident was paid $15 (Canadian) a number of years ago to be a waiter at a melaveh malkah in Montreal. The appetizer was gefilte fish balls with an orange-colored sauce.
In Hot Water
The following is based on a true story. Nathan comes home from his out-of-town dormitory. He loudly declares, “I’m starving!” His mother gently reminds him that he managed for a few months on his own and surely he can…
The Friday Night Food Fight
There are no courses offered for a father on how to cut the lechem mishneh on Shabbos. A father has a few moments to cut through and distribute the challah before he has a rebellion on his hands.
Piecing It Together
There is a question that is frequently heard in yeshivos: “Why are we learning this topic in Gemara? Why is it relevant?” All topics of Torah are connected.
Dough Adir
Rebbe Abba says that on Shabbos, one is obligated to recite ha’motzi on two loaves of bread (Shabbos 117b). This is to commemorate the double portion of manna that fell on Friday.
Pesach Planning In October
During the Pesach Seder, we fulfill the mitzvah of repeating the events surrounding our exodus from Egypt. To involve the children, there are practices specifically geared towards them.
A Bran Plan For Matzah
Every year around Pesach time, it is obligatory for someone to mention the oft-repeated joke, “Why is matzah called lechem oni? Because it makes the purchaser poor.” With hand matzos selling for as much as $26 a pound…
Something To Pick At
In a neighborhood where there is no communal eiruv, an eiruv chatzeiros is required to carry on Shabbos from one’s home into a common area. In the Lower East Side there is no eiruv that permits carrying in the streets.
It’s A Wash!
In the “You can’t make this stuff up department,” 35-year-old Bobby Bolen of Niles, Michigan was sentenced to 54 days in prison and given probation after he barged into his then-friend Lee’s home, threw him on the…
Cast Your Bread Upon The Waters
Two weeks ago we learned some interesting topics in the daf that touched on some raging controversies affecting kashrus today. One such Gemara was about the kashrus of sheratzim found in pits of water.
Gemara stories on Hamotzi and Bread
King Menashe Appears to Rav Ashi in a Dream
After Rav Ashi calls the wicked kings "our friends," King Menashe appears in his dream, stumps him on where to cut the bread, and explains his idolatry.