Mitzvos
Writing, wearing and the order of the parshiyos in tefillin, including Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam.
Shehechiyanu and kiddush on Yom Tov are a beautiful pair. However, we must remember that the second days of Pesach present a unique exception: they are the only nights of yom tov on which Kiddush is recited without…
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.
Many people wear two pairs of tefillin — Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam. The question arises whether one may wear both pairs at the same time. The Shulchan Aruch rules that one may.
An astute observer might notice that many Chassidishe wedding halls do not have mirrors in the men’s restrooms. The source for this practice can be traced to Masechta Avoda Zara.
Lefties have it hard in a world that is made for righties. Starting in school, students encounter desks that are made for righties. There are one-piece desks where the student enters the desk on the left side and is…
Rabbi Yisroel Besser once wrote about his experience standing on the other side of the mechitza. He was attending his daughter’s graduation, and the primary event was for mothers only.
Commercial sukkos used to be generic and “one size fits all.” Sukkah manufacturers have come a long way. You can now purchase ready-to-assemble designer sukkos.
Boruch and Shimon take a day trip to visit some of the quaint bungalow colonies located in the scenic Catskill Mountains. Of course, when newly built, they were a pristine vacation destination.
One makes a berachah of Shehecheyanu on a mitzvah that comes at a specific time of the year. We recite the berachah of Shehecheyanu on every yom tov.
A vexing question that plagues many is how to choose a shul. Some say that the most important aspect of a shul is available parking. After all, if you can’t park there, how can you daven there?
An acquaintance remarked that this year in Judaism is “the year of the cow.” I did not have the faintest idea of what he was talking about until he explained: “This is the year of two udders (Adars).” Since Purim is…
Rav Henoch Leibowitz stood on tiptoe to check his tefillin in a small hallway mirror, until a bochur quietly put up a lower mirror for his Rosh Yeshiva.
Told that the Divrei Chaim called checking tefillin in a mirror the mark of an am ha'aretz, the Brisker Rav said he would rather be one and wear them right.
Did the dry bones Yechezkel saw really live again? One opinion says they did, and Rabbi Yehudah ben Besaira says he descends from them and has their tefillin.
