Magazine

A new series by R. Aryeh Leibowitz of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, excerpted from a book available for purchase: here by R. Aryeh Leibowitz The Later Rishonim of England The Jewish community of early medieval England was strongly associated with the community of northern France.1)In 1066, the Norman (French) King, William I captured England in the battle of Hastings. This united France ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein (previous post on this subject: here) The Call of Torah Scholars In all times, the Jewish people have had leaders who try to point out to them places they are going wrong. Rabbenu Yonah urges readers to be open to their messages, recognize and accept where they hit home, and repent accordingly. Just doing so takes ...

by R. Daniel Mann Question: Because I am in the “at-risk” population, I will not go to shul for Rosh Hashana. I know how to blow shofar. Should I blow for myself 30 kolot, as is usually done for those who cannot make it to shul, or is it better to do 100? If the latter, should I do 31-60 ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Rabbenu Yonah’s Six Spurs To Repentance: Spurs One and Two Almost anything can become rote, even repentance. Observant Jews’ habituation to the High Holiday season—the tunes of the first night of selihot, the first Barkhua of Rosh HaShanah, U-netaneh Tokef, Kol Nidrei, and so on, might impede sincere repentance, make it rote rather than real. Rabbenu Yonah was already alert to ...

by R. Gil Student This year, we do not blow shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashanah because it is Shabbos. To prevent people from carrying a shofar where there is no eruv — something very relevant this year when many people will be praying in homes and backyards — the entire Jewish people will refrain from blowing shofar ...

by R. Daniel Z. Feldman Commentary and insights into the second portion of Parashiyos Nitzavim-Vayelech (Deut. 30:1−6) If you cannot see anything below, click on this link. See here for past weeks: here

A new series by R. Aryeh Leibowitz of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, excerpted from a book available for purchase: here by R. Aryeh Leibowitz   R. Moshe of Coucy (סמ”ג, ר’ משה מקוצי) R. Moshe (d. 1260) was a student of R. Yehuda of Paris and a contemporary of R. Yechiel. He too participated in the Paris disputation of the Talmud. R. ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein Lessons of NonLiteral Onkelos: Nitzavim Nitzavim-Vayelekh are, together, still a very short parsha (and the last one before Rosh HaShanah). In the name of completeness, I wanted five comments of Okelos on each, so it was catch as catch can. Once More on Anthropomorphism Early on in our journey through Onkelos, I pointed out his determined rejection of the literal meaning ...

by R. Daniel Mann Question: May one to decide not to go through with his donation pledge to a Jewish school? If so, must he take steps such as hatarat nedarim? Answer: Your question is general, as will be the focus of our answer. Realize that details can make a big difference.   Pledges of a gift can obligate on various ...

by R. Gidon Rothstein This is the last essay in the current series on nidui, a follow-up to the series of ideas about the novel coronavirus back when it was novel. As Rosh HaShanah approaches, the end of our study of siman 334 of Yoreh De’ah leaves us with three weeks for issues of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur—this year, I hope to study the ...