Something that confused me for a long time was that Hebrew letters are also numbers. Worse, the words for numbers have both feminine and masculine forms. But today, we’re going to focus on Hebrew numerals. Think of Roman numerals (I, V, and X) and Arabic numbers (1, 2, and 3). I find the Hebrew system […]
When Hebrew Letters Are Actually Numbers Read Post »
Today, I’m going to tell you why the Voca People are awesome. But I’m not going to make you take that on faith. I’ll tell you a little about myself so that you can know I am a clear authority on their amazingness. First, I saw it. Second, I’ve seen a lot of performances of
What happens when your community standards (which are either halacha or custom) are not the standards of a place you travel to? Let’s discuss some examples (this is not exhaustive): You live in the diaspora, so you celebrate an “extra” day of yom tov for 8 days of Pesach. You travel to Israel, where Pesach
UPDATED: Your Community Standards v. Travel Read Post »
This is truly an eternal debate, and everyone has an opinion. Mostly, they focus on the negative opinion: which do they hate? Personally, I hate early Shabbos, but not for the reasons you would think. First, what are early and late Shabbos? Early Shabbos is in the winter, when Shabbos begins early on Friday afternoon.
Debate: Early Shabbat v. Late Shabbat Read Post »
Tomorrow is a fast day! Sunrise to sunset only. If you are uncertain how the laws of fasting apply or how they apply to you, ask your rabbi! Remember that if you are halachically unable to fast because of your health, it is a mitzvah for you to eat! The Fast of the 17th of
Tomorrow Is the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz Read Post »
Appropriately enough after my last post, today’s word is “b’seder.” This word/phrase is ubiquitous in Israel. That means it is everywhere. Israelis say “b’seder” more than teenage girls say “like.” Literally, it means “in order.” It generally means “ok” or “fine” or “everything will be ok.” You can even end your sentences with it, like
Phrase of the Day: B’Seder Read Post »
Can conversion rabbis ever really understand the emotional issues that face conversion candidates? Worse, maybe even our friends and family can’t understand? I don’t mean to downplay the suffering that other people face. We all have our own challenges, but orthodox conversion candidates face an outside restriction on the most intimate areas of life. Given
(I’m not so bright, so I accidentally scheduled this for tomorrow’s date. Sorry!) A really nice story to start your day off right! I don’t think any story can really be classified as a “chassidic story” unless it involves a forest in The Old Country, a miraculous job offer, and someone who gets pregnant after
Lessons in Ahavas Yisrael: Tattoos in the Mikvah Read Post »
This is my first post on Torah, but I just can’t resist this parsha. The story of the spies is one of my favorites, and last year, it was even the parsha when I visited Eretz Yisrael for the first time! Appropriate, right? The spies became a kind of analogy for my Birthright group, which
Parsha Shlach: The Spies, the Ayin Tov, and Converts Read Post »
Here is Tuesday’s awesome and modest look! Calhoun decided to photobomb me, looking for lovin’. The skirt is a black, floor-length (because I’m short) polyester/rayon blend and comes from from Nordstrom’s kids’ section. The t-shirt is from my Birthright trip to Israel, so it has the easily-spotted Birthright logo on the pocket area and a
Dressing Awesomely and Modestly: The “Fresh off the Boat from Seminary” Look Read Post »