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Phrase of the Day: Bentching Gomel

Bentching gomel is a special prayer that allows you to thank Hashem for delivering you from danger. (Imagine being at a football game…”Go, Mel!” It doesn’t rhyme with camel.)  You must have actually been in danger. Close to danger isn’t enough. You have defied death, so now you should thank Hashem in public during the Torah […]

UPDATED: Your Community Standards v. Travel

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 […]

What CAN I do on Shabbat? Shabbos-Friendly Activities

You’ve heard it before (and maybe you’ve even said it), “Shabbat is so restrictive. All you can do is go to synagogue.” And reenforcing that perception, a Google search looking for activities allowed on Shabbat only returns pages and pages of things you can’t do on Shabbat. For someone new to Shabbat, you’re left wading […]

My Narrow, Unsympathetic Point of View

Today, I’d like to take a minute to discuss something that I believe is important to clarify. From a comment: “There is a lot of pain involved with conversion for many people, but I’ve noticed time and again that you don’t seem to see this. Human feelings and embarrassment and dignity are a PART of halacha… I’ve read a […]

The Destruction of the Beis HaMikdash Continues Today

Starting tonight through Wednesday morning, we mourn the destruction of our Temples. As some basic Jewish education, what caused the destruction of the First and Second Temples? There’s the “easy” response:  The First was destroyed by the Babylonians. The Second by the Romans. However, the Sages in the Talmud have an additional explanation, in order […]

Rabbi Speaks Out Against Geirus l’Chumrahs

Question: What is the status of the ‘extra’ conversion immersion [tevila leHumra] demanded by some Orthodox rabbis?  You may know this as geirus l’chumrah. A geirus l’chumrah is when a convert (already converted) is required to undergo a “new” conversion because of doubt about a prior conversion. Sometimes this is necessary. That’s why it exists. You […]

How to Walk a Dog on Shabbat

If you’re a pet owner, you have probably already discovered that you’re a bit of an oddball in the Jewish community. Especially if you own a dog. (Much less a big dog…or two big dogs like your author.) Because of the lack of pets in the community, it is key to find a rabbi knowledgeable […]

The Nine Days in a Nutshell

Tomorrow night is Rosh Chodesh Av, the first day of the month of Av. It also begins the period known as the Nine Days, a time of great sadness for the Jewish people. Ashkenazim have been observing mourning practices since the 17th of Tammuz, but starting tomorrow, their mourning practices intensify and Sephardim begin observing […]

How to Wear “Clean” Clothing During the Nine Days

As the Nine Days approaches, you should begin preparing your clothing. During this period, we do not wear “freshly laundered clothing” and don’t do laundry.  So what will you wear without looking and smelling like a crazy homeless guy? It’s easy. A) You may wear freshly-laundered (aka, clean) underwear and socks (and some say undershirts) […]