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…
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Shabbos and Yom Tov
Pesach
Chametz, matzah, the Korban Pesach and the Seder.
Make Your Days Count
It was the second night of Pesach. The congregation had just finished their silent Shemoneh Esrei. The chazzan was about to continue the service. Suddenly, Boruch hurried across the shul toward Shimon.
The Mysterious Matzah
My son came home with a questionnaire his rebbe had distributed. The students were asked to indicate their family’s minhagim regarding a wide range of practices at the Seder.
Mordechai’s Tefillin
The initial disorientation was immediate. He had spent his life navigating the familiar geometry of the men’s section, dense clusters of seforim, well-worn shtenders, long tables etched with years of learning.
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.
A Forced Tumah
The Gemara (Zevachim 100a; see also Moed Katan 23a) and its commentators discuss various details of the following account, and some aspects are subject to interpretation.
An Open Door Policy
There are two practices at the end of the Seder that are commonly associated with each other, though they are not necessarily connected.
Racing Towards Chatzos
Recap: Boruch called Shimon a sheigetz for eating popcorn and peanuts on Erev Pesach, when chametz was already forbidden. Shimon politely explained that his posek ruled that popcorn is permitted, and peanuts are not…
Cracker Jack Kitniyos Controversy
The following story takes place in an unincorporated community named Cracker Jack, located in Carroll Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. It’s the afternoon of Erev Pesach.
The Bitter Truth
Does Romaine lettuce have anything to do with detergent, stoning, and putting on pants? Lettuce be clear: the Shulchan Aruch says they do.
A Rosh Chodesh Addition – Sometimes
There is an interesting custom that many people observe: to add the words “V’kapparas pesha” to the Mussaf prayer on Rosh Chodesh during a leap year.
The Simcha of a Siyum
A mishnah in Ta’anis declares that the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av. The Gemara says that Yom Kippur was joyous because the nation was forgiven for its sins.
Neither a Lender Nor a Borrower Be?
If someone borrows a loaf of bread before Pesach, does he have to pay it back after Pesach? After all, if the Jewish lender would have kept the loaf of bread in his possession, it would have become worthless.
Chametz and Chumros
Enterprising thieves, in the times of the Gemara, seemed to always be able to catch up to the latest anti-theft trend. The Gemara goes through various measures a watchman was supposed to undertake to safeguard cash.
Clouds in the Forecast
The Sifrei says that Bnei Yisrael brought the Korban Pesach only once during their 40-year sojourn in the desert. This Sifrei says further that this reflects badly on Klal Yisrael.
Pesach Questions for Rav Chaim, zt”l
The following questions were posed to Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim, zt”l. Rav Chaim wrote a letter regarding the publication of questions posed to him.
Sar HaTorah: Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l
Klal Yisrael is in a deep state of mourning for the Sar HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l. HaRav Binyomin Forst, shlit”a, remarked that we are no longer living in the same world.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, on Megillas Esther
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, typically answers questions in a short, concise fashion. HaRav Zev Aryeh Steiglitz, shlita, had the opportunity to ask him many questions about Megillas Esther.
Who is Obligated?
The very first Mishna in Chagigah discusses those who are obligated to make the thrice-yearly pilgrimage to the Beis Hamikdash. The Mishna clearly states that the rule is that everyone is obligated except those…
When Purim Was on Pesach
Although the events of the Purim story transpired over a lengthy period of time, the main action occurred over a few days. The Megillah specifically states that Haman’s letters stating that the Jewish nation should be…
The Simcha of a Siyum
The Mishna at the end of Taanis (26b) quotes Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel who declares that the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av.
Charoses: Bricks, Straws, and Blood
I always marvel at the plethora of new Pesach products that come out every year. Canned charoses is one that I haven’t seen until this year.
Eggs and Shank Bones
This story may have taken place in 2008, the last time erev Pesach fell out on Shabbos. It takes place between a wise son and his father on the Seder night.
Made to Order
In the English language there is an order for descriptive words. Most native English speakers have acquired an innate feel for the right way to express a sentence.
Korban Pesach Conundrums
There is a well-known line we recite in the beginning of the Haggadah in the paragraph of Ha Lachma Anya. “Anyone who wants, may come and eat; anyone who wants, may come and join in the Pesach.” Seemingly, this line is…
Coffee Break
Kutach haBavli and espresso-infused chocolate bombs. Seemingly, these two food items have nothing to do with each other. However, kutach haBavli sheds light on an interesting halachic point related to the…
Yolk Tales
An interesting Pesach product that will take on added relevance this year is egg matzah. Is egg matzah kosher l’Pesach? Can egg matzah be used to fulfill the biblical mitzvah of matzah on the night of the Seder?
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.
Glimpse of a Gadol: Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt’l
Klal Yisrael suffered a tremendous loss last week with the passing of Moreinu Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt’l. There will be much written, be’H, about the gadol ha’dor.
Chametz for Sale
There is a well-known and widely used technique to free oneself from violating the prohibition of owning chametz on Pesach — selling one’s chametz to a gentile. Famously, the Vilna Gaon was against this practice.
Our Better Halves
The second perek of Maseches Megillah starts by discussing the laws of someone who read the Megillah l’mafreiah. If someone read the Megillah out of order, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
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.
Sowing The Seeds For Mitzvos
The mishnah in the beginning of the seventh perek of Pesachim instructs one who is roasting his Paschal lamb to employ a spit made of pomegranate wood.
Lettuce Discuss Marror
It’s tough to get some kids to eat their veggies. Kids come up with all sorts of excuses. In the Jewish household, kids have an added reason not to eat their salad. “Ma, we eat this as marror!
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 In The Air
I remember one chol ha’moed Pesach going with a rosh yeshiva and his family to a Mets game. The rosh yeshiva had a son in my class and he invited me to come along.
Searching Ourselves
Carbonite is a company that provides online backup for personal and business computers. In 2009, they lost some of their customers’ data, as a result of what they claim was defective hardware.
A Time To Learn
Recently, a news organization decided it would be interesting to see if Major League Baseball players knew the rules of their game. They composed 10 questions about various scenarios.
Dog Foodies
The Gemara in Shabbos teaches us that one is not allowed to expend any effort on Shabbos to feed animals that are not his. The Mishnah Berurah therefore questions the custom some have of feeding the birds on Shabbos…
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…
Beyond The Letter Of The Law
What is the definition of a chumrah? It is an optional stringency in halachah that one takes upon himself. There are certain practices that some may view as chumros, but which others view as halachic requirements.
Half And Half
When we use the term half we don’t always refer to 50%. When someone is called a half-wit that doesn’t mean he has half of the intelligence of a regular human.
Gemara stories on Pesach
Rav Dovid Feinstein Buys Challah After Pesach
Rav Dovid Feinstein, strict about chametz sold over Pesach, buys a bakery's challos the day after Yom Tov: she was closed nine days and needs parnassah.
The Non-Jew Who Ate the Korban Pesach
A non-Jew brags to Rabbi Yehudah ben Besaira that he eats the Korban Pesach every year. The sage slyly tells him to ask for the fat tail, and he is exposed.
Hashem Silences the Angels at the Yam Suf
As the Egyptians drown in the Yam Suf, the angels want to sing shirah, but Hashem stops them: 'My creations are drowning and you sing?'
Rav Moshe Wolfson's Egg Matzah Before Pesach
Once the Pesach dishes came out, Rav Moshe Wolfson used egg matzah for lechem mishneh, and one year remarked how long it had been since he had challah.
Rav Henoch Leibowitz's Quick First Seder
Asked why his first Seder was so short, Rav Henoch Leibowitz explained that the Rebbetzin had worked nonstop to make Pesach. Should he keep her up?