You finally have a date with your full beit din! Yay! …Now what? Whatever you do, don’t panic. Google “how to cope with stress” if you need tips on how to keep your calm over the next few days or weeks. Nervousness will trip you up in the meeting and make you forget basic facts. […]
Word of the Day: Mezumen
When you bentch, you may notice that sometimes a person leads the bentching and sometimes not. Chances are, you won’t be leading the benching anytime soon, but you may be confused what’s going on. I wondered about this constantly, but by the time bentching was over, I’d forgotten my question! Before we start, go grab […]
No One Likes the Holier-Than-Thou Guy
Even the other toothbrushes don’t like Shabbos Toothbrush :'(
How to Have Toilet Paper on Shabbat
Taking on Shabbat observance will reveal details of your life that you have never considered before. For instance, you take toilet paper for granted. I promise you do. But then someone (or a book or website) will tell you, “Oh, you can’t tear toilet paper on Shabbat.” And then you will be confused. Rinse and […]
Phrase of the Day: Hiddur Mitzvah
There is a mitzvah to make a mitzvah beautiful or otherwise enhance the mitzvah beyond the demands of the halacha through aesthetics. Generally, it refers to the beauty of a physical ritual object. The source for hiddur mitzvah is Exodus/Shmot 15:2 “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” Many mitzvot require a physical […]
The 25th of Elul: The Beginning of Creation?
Tonight begins the 25th of Elul. According to Rabbi Eliezer, this is the day Hashem began creating the world. In other words, today is “the first day.” Therefore: Adam was created on the sixth day, and Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the year from the time Adam was created. Why would we measure the […]
Shabbat-Friendly Foods for the Newbie
When you first begin observing Shabbat, the food issue can be the most daunting. How do I cook for Shabbos without cooking on Shabbos?? For a long time, I didn’t eat hot food on Shabbat. (That’s ok, but be prepared for karaite jokes!) If you’re not ready to tackle the crockpot, hot plate, or blech, […]
What You Should Know Before Going to Your First Orthodox Shabbat Dinner
There is a fantastic post over at Out of the Ortho Box: The 10 Things I Want My Shabbat Guests to Know. What do you wish you’d known? For me, it was the toilet.
Me, Myself, and Irene
I thought I was done with hurricanes when I left South Carolina, and done with earthquakes when I left California. This week has been devoted to proving me wrong. New York City saw an earthquake earlier this week and will soon deal with at least a category 1 hurricane. Excuse me while I go batten […]
The Only Cholent Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Shabbos Cholent really isn’t hard to make. Open your fridge. Is there food in it? Good. You’re on the right track already. Put your crockpot on the counter. If you’re really fancy, put a crockpot bag in there to make it easier to clean up. If you’re not so fancy, you can spray some Pam […]