Shmini Atzeret

Shmini Atzeret 2020 / שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת 5781 Shmini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) for Hebrew Year 5781 begins at sundown on Friday, 9 October 2020 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 10 October 2020. Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת – “the Eighth [day] of Assembly”) is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month…

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VE-ZOS HABRACHAH

With The End Comes The Beginning By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum Torah Reading for Simchas Torah: VE-ZOS HABRACHAH, Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12Additional reading: Genesis 1:1-2:3Maftir: Numbers 29:35-30:1Haftara: Joshua 1:1-18 AND THIS IS THE BLESSING After the succession of stern rebukes to Israel in the preceding parshahs, we finally come to the conclusion of the Torah, which is all…

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Clouds of Glory

The Gemara (Sukkah 11b) explains that the Mitzvah of Sukkah is in commemoration of the clouds of glory that surrounded our ancestors when they left Egypt. The Gemara (Ta’anit 9a) states: “Three great leaders arose for the Jewish nation: Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. Hashem gave the Jewish nation three gifts through them which were: The…

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The Obligation to Eat in the Sukkah- the Coronavirus

The Obligation to Eat in the Sukkah- the Coronavirus A Meal of an Established CharacterThroughout the entire Sukkot holiday, both during the night and day, it is prohibited to eat a meal of an established character outside of the Sukkah. The amount of food one is required to eat in order for one’s meal to…

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Words to the Shema and Its Blessings

The Shema, one of the most important (and shortest) prayers in Jewish liturgy, is surrounded by three long blessings. The first two, which thank God for creation and revelation precede the Shema. The third, which thanks God for redemption, follows the Shema. While the translation below uses masculine God language, numerous Jewish prayer books (siddurs)…

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Sukkot 2020

Sukkot I (on Shabbat) / סוּכּוֹת יוֹם א׳ (בְּשַׁבָּת)Saturday, 3 October 2020 / 15 Tishrei 5781 Torah Portion: Leviticus 22:26-23:44 1: Leviticus 22:26-33 2: Leviticus 23:1-3 3: Leviticus 23:4-8 4: Leviticus 23:9-14 5: Leviticus 23:15-22 6: Leviticus 23:23-32 7: Leviticus 23:33-44 maf: Numbers 29:12-16 (5 p’sukim) Haftarah: Zechariah 14:1-21 Sukkot II / סוּכּוֹת יוֹם ב׳Sunday, 4 October 2020 / 16 Tishrei 5781 Torah Portion: Leviticus 22:26-23:44 1: Leviticus 22:26-23:3 2: Leviticus 23:4-14…

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Kol Nidrei

The declaration made before the recital of Kol Nidrei [We permit prayer with thosewho are transgressors] has its roots in the events that occurred at the time of theforced conversions imposed upon Spanish Jews. The Church subjected SpanishJewry to harsh and cruel persecution, forcing them to renounce Judaism and acceptChristianity. There were many among the…

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Erev Yom Kippur

Erev Yom Kippur Immersion in the MikvehIt is proper for men to immerse themselves in a Mikveh on Erev Yom Kippur. Even in his advanced years when Maran zt”l was weak and this proved difficult, he nevertheless made the effort to go and immerse in a Mikveh (located in the home of Harav Eliyahu Sheetrit Shlit”a) on Erev Yom…

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Featured Books

Netzarim Emunah Chumash By Yaakov Bar Yosef THE NETZARIM EMUNAH CHUMASH is a line by line precept by precept Chumash. Easy to use format for reading and in-depth study of Torah.

Hineni: Prayer for the Ability to Pray

Hineni. Here I am. Most of what we recite in synagogue on the High Holidays utilizes the first person plural: We praise you. God, save us because we have sinned. We pray as a community and we express ourselves collectively. But the Hineni prayer, a meditation traditionally recited by the cantor prior to the Musaf…

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The missing Chapter

The missing Chapter 29 of the Acts of the ApostlesWe have seen in our investigation, the persistent rumors of Joseph of Arimathea in Britain and how it is that we have been misdirected as to his burial place by the propaganda put out by Henry Blois. When we start to search into how it is…

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