יום שלישי, ט״ו תמוז תשפ״וTuesday, June 30, 2026
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In that sense, this article is itself an act of haggadah. The goal is to point at what is happening around us and say: look, this is what the hand of G-d looks like in history. That obligation falls on every Jewish parent and teacher…whenever history offers a teaching moment. And this year, history is not being subtle.
Question: I have noticed that when we eat the matzah at the Seder, we recite the blessing of “HaMotzi lechem min ha’aretz,” followed by “Al achilat matzah.” Why don’t we say “Al achilat matzah” when we eat matzah during the remainder of Passover? Moshe Jakobowitz Brooklyn, N.Y.
Would we think it possible that one day we would be standing at Sinai, receiving the Torah and becoming Hashem’s chosen people?
Adam’s essence had abandoned his body, so he was no longer conscious of the godliness that had inhered in him while in Gan Eden. Adam had become an empty shell of himself and was turning into an animal.
If you are short on matzah, you can borrow from your neighbor, but you should say: ‘Do you have a box of matzah to give me, and I’ll give you one back on Chol HaMoed,’ rather than: ‘Can you lend me a box of matzah?’
The truth is that adults do not come to the Seder as blank slates. They come carrying the year. They come carrying whatever Egypt they have been walking through quietly.
If we’re asking questions solely for the purpose of receiving answers, we’re missing the point.
Most people, I would guess, know any of several reasons for Karpas. And for dipping the karpas in salt water. There are many reasons.
The past month has carried a similar urgency. We feel history lurching forward. Wars are unfolding in compressed timeframes, and the landscape shifts almost daily. Once again, events outpace us, and we are being hurried along.
Nothing in the physical world is objectively good or evil, rather, everything has the potential to be used for either good or evil.
Mrs. Klein replied, It doesn’t seem fair that I should pay you for two idle hours when there’s still work that could be done!
A Matter Of Terminology “Oil Set Apart for One Mincha Is Invalid for Another” (Menachos 79b)
The choice is ours. When the siren goes off, should we read frightening news updates or a chapter of Tehillim? As we prepare for Pesach, should we communicate a sense of depression and despair, or try our best to create a cheerful atmosphere in our homes?
There is something grounding about that image in the week before Pesach. We are surrounded by fire. It is the fire of cleaning, cooking, burning chametz, deadlines, and expectations. But none of that is the eish tamid.
Like the poor, the kohanim had no possessions of their own. They were entirely dependent for their livelihood on the grace of G-d and the donations of the people.
Question: I would like to know the minimal requirements of consumption and any possible leniencies or compensation for one who finds it difficult to eat matzah. Additionally, how absolute is the requirement not to eat anything after the afikoman? Menachem Via email
Why couldn't HaKadosh Baruch Hu have commanded us to sacrifice the Korban Pesach two days before? A week before?
Centuries later, after the destruction of the First Temple and seventy years of exile in Babylon, something unprecedented occurred. The Persian king granted the Jews permission to return and rebuild the Temple.
As we recite the fifteen stanzas of Dayeinu, tracing the miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim, we might also think of the Dayeinu we would offer for the past two and a half years. Without softening the pain or ignoring the strain, we can still give thanks for Hashem's care and protection.
It is commonly understood (from the Gemara and elsewhere) that in the year that Israel went out of Mitzrayim, the process of bringing the Korban Pesach began with the taking of the sheep and tying it to the bedpost on Shabbat.
Another reason why the yetzer hara is firing on all cylinders is that of the entire year, the Seder night is the greatest opportunity we have for teaching our descendants.
Greater is the Kiddush Hashem of that day than all of the chillul Hashem of the Egyptian exile. Not only were the Jewish people redeemed physically; they were also spiritually redeemed.
Most spiritual schools of thought are focused wholly on the spiritual; they view the physical world as lowly and dangerous. They therefore claim that the physical should be avoided to the greatest extent possible.
The Rabbis applied an adage to dictate a Torah idea. I believe this is because when the Rabbis discerned an adage that was wise, they realized that it represented a pattern in life.
A takeaway from Parshat Tzav is the requirement that the fire on the Mizbei’ach never be extinguished or allowed to go out. This mitzvah is one of the reasons for a ner tamid in shuls.
Mr. Brand shook his head. I didn’t even light the fire, he replied. The compressor sparked on its own. And how was I supposed to know that there were valuable tools hidden under a tarp?
Hashem’s Holy Name “…That A Gentile May Bring Either Votive or Freewill Offerings…” (Menachos 73b)
Originally G-d wanted to transmit the Torah and all of its laws directly to the people. But the people beseeched Moshe to relay G-d’s words to them for if they continued to listen directly to G-d, they feared they would die (Shemos 20:16).
The Mincha is the simplest of all offerings – flour, oil, a measure of frankincense. Ingredients drawn from the rhythm of daily life. Nothing extravagant. Nothing that signals wealth or status. Nothing that would draw attention in the courtyard of the Mishkan.
Question: Is it permitted to ride a bicycle on the Sabbath or holidays in an area that has an eruv? No Name Please Via email
Yet within the total destruction, a great miracle occurred: their beloved mother had been inside the house and survived. And it happened precisely on the yahrzeit of their father. In the midst of everything, the family felt they had received the greatest gift of all: life.
Why specifically on the second night? Bear in mind that we never say Eishes Chayil on Yom Tov. It’s only on Shabbos, so why the exception?
Although the construction of the physical universe concluded on the first of Tishrei, on the first of Nissan – and particularly on this date in the year following the Exodus – the rectification of mankind begins.
The Sefer HaChinuch cites the Ramban who expounds that the individual must appreciate the fact that the animal being sacrificed is really in place of the sinner. That awareness will inspire and compel the person to do complete teshuvah.
What does it mean then that HaKadosh Baruch Hu placed Adam in Gan Eden "Le'Ovda u'le'Shomra" if that did not involve Korbanot?
What is most fascinating about the laws of purity is how extensive and invasive they must have been when they were observed properly in the times of our Sages.
Vayikra the Book has the most mitzvot of the five Chumashim – 247, which is 40% of the Torah’s 613 mitzvot. On the other hand, Vayikra is the shortest Book of the Torah, by far – in columns, lines, p’sukim, words, and letters, making its mitzvah-stats all the more impressive.
Everyone is a leader in some capacity. Some will lead their families, while others will lead the world. The scale is irrelevant; the principles remain the same.
I recently heard the Meaningful People podcast in which Uncle Moishy was interviewed. It’s clear that he genuinely loves what he does and takes great pleasure in the fact that he has had such a wonderful impact on so many Jewish children for so many years.
When the renovation finally neared completion, Mr. Landman approached Mr. Fixler. “We relied on your schedule,” he said. “We had to move out. We even rented an apartment. This delay caused real inconvenience and expense. I believe we deserve compensation.”
Shortchanged? “You Shall Count 50 Days” (Menachos 65b)
Each of us has his or her personal story about how this concept of an undisturbable day of rest, so counterintuitive to the ideals of the society we live in, has enriched and prolonged our lives.
There are really two kinds of religious life. The first is built out of inspiration... This second life is not built out of inspiration. It is built out of return.
I’ve always been struck by that phrase “nesa liban,” “their hearts lifted them.” There is something deeply human in it, a quiet rising of the soul toward purpose.
The test facing the Biton family is unimaginable. Yet many people in the room yesterday nodded in agreement. Each person drew strength for the challenges in his or her own life.
Question: Is it permitted to ride a bicycle on the Sabbath or holidays in an area that has an eruv? No Name Please Via email
Philo’s discussion of the clothes of the Kohen Gadol is deeply fascinating, but also probably demonstrates some of the basis for Chazal’s decision to ignore his teachings in the Talmud.
The deeper reality is that Israelis tend to experience their identity primarily as members of a nation rather than as members of distinct local congregations.
When I first learned of this initiative, I felt immediately that it deserved recognition. Not because it is grand, but because it reflects the quiet greatness that sustains Jewish life. Many communities mourn; fewer understand how to transform mourning into blessing.
Ashrei is a very important prayer, and the most important pasuk in it is: “Poseiach es yadecha (You) open Your hand and satisfy each living thing according to its need.”
We should realize that at the Seder we are not just talking to our children. Actually, we are showing them how to make a Seder. We are investing in our grandchildren and generations beyond.
The blessing of an ordinary person should never be considered lightly in your eyes.
Counting can be a potentially dangerous thing. The Gemara (Ta'anit 8b) says that someone who weighs/measures/counts something will never see any blessing from that thing, because blessing only rests on something that is undefined/unseen.
Shabbat is the original demonstration of k’dushat z’man, the sanctity of time. Mikdash is the prime example of k’dushat makom, the sanctity of place.
Even this can be only a metaphor, because G-d is complete and needs nothing. The words “need” or “it brings honor” are a stand-in for human perception of a deeper truth or force of the universe.
Only when you look closer, deepening your gaze, do you see the deeper layer of reality, the transcendent root.
Although they used the child’s coin, this does not adversely affect the animal’s status. And since he gave it willingly, which is valid mi’d’Rabbanan, they have no obligation to return its value to him
Monies in a Pushka “Do Not Add Oil” (Menachos 59b)
Intellectually, of course, I always knew this. But suddenly, that day, I felt it in my heart as well. Fourteen-year-old Matania, with his gentle smile, interpreted reality for me better than any seasoned commentator could.
Being that their acceptance was under duress, the Jews had an escape clause. They could unilaterally revoke the covenant with G-d and abandon their status as the Chosen People at any time.
In the span of a few days, we move from Esther’s quiet courage in the shadows to Moshe holding luchot carved by the hands of Hashem. Two extremes of Divine presence. Two ways a people can tremble. Two ways a heart can break open.
The form of the world we know, like the forms of the letters engraved upon the Luchot, is that which was decreed on High when Hashem decided to create our universe.
Aharon assumed their desire for wealth would quiet their fears. He discovered instead that fear does not yield so easily. When people feel unmoored and uncertain, fear overrides calculation. In that moment, the people did not have the emotional strength to wait.
A person who lives in this world has not been privileged to see everything from the beginning of time. When he observes certain events, he doesn’t understand why one person has various challenges in life, or why one is successful while the other is not.
In our Seder right after the Ma Nishtana, we testify to this in the Haggadah, saying that if Hashem hadn’t taken us out, we, our children, and our children’s children, would have been subjugated to an Arabic, slave-like existence.
Question: Is it permitted to ride a bicycle on the Sabbath or holidays in an area that has an eruv? No Name Please Via email
Instead of expressing gratitude to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for this abundance, the snake, the yetzer hara, preyed upon Noach's generation, who rejected HaKadosh Baruch Hu and became a depraved society worthy only of destruction.
Hundreds of chayalim, in all types of uniforms, walking together, right before my very eyes! The same window through which the Nazis would look in, now we were looking out and seeing a miracle unfold before our eyes.
The Torah is asking of us not to devote moments of time toward worship but to live and walk with G-d.
When Ki Tisa and Para are read on the same Shabbat, there is a significant connection between them.
When we smell something, it also allows us to anticipate something we may not see or hear.
On Tisha B’Av, Rav Moshe would wear a threadbare garment that was beginning to tear. One could see the grief in his eyes and his longing for the yeshuah with all of his soul.
Can I send matanos la’evyonim to someone living in Yerushalayim which they will receive when they are celebrating Purim?
The Greater Reward “The Ketores…Since It Is Infrequent, It Is Most Dear” (Menachos 50a)
By Moshe Gantz and Joseph Miller
The megillah functions differently. It is read all at once from beginning to end. Since there is no need to leave it open in the middle, one roller suffices according to Shulchan Aruch.
The Jews of Shushan did not change their location. They changed the way they carried their covenant. For a moment, they stopped guarding it and started living it.
There are weeks when I look toward that light and feel held. There are weeks when I look toward it and feel exposed.
The Choshen Mishpat atoned for miscarriages of justice. It was fastened so tightly that it would never stray from the Ephod (28:28).
Joy is not a fleeting pleasure that fades as quickly as it appears. Real joy connects us to something eternal. It is grounded in simple, practical actions: mitzvot and good deeds that anchor us in purpose.
Question: To whom should one give matanot la’evyonim on Purim? Is there a minimal amount one is to give? Also, what about boys collecting for yeshivot or other institutions – may one discharge his obligation by giving to them? Menachem Via email
Chazal say that Achashveirosh hated Am Yisrael even more than Haman. Achashveirosh was told by his soothsayers that he would eventually be succeeded by a Jew. Since he wasn’t particularly fond of Am Yisrael to begin with, he incorrectly assumed that the only way this could possibly come about was if the Jews staged a coup and overthrew him.
Haman and Achashverosh have effectively lobbed a figurative grenade into the streets of Shushan, creating great consternation among the city’s entire population. The two architects of the impending horror, however, remain removed and unaffected by the turmoil in the streets. While Shushan is in an uproar, its king is busy drinking.
Individual humans upset the balance on their own, Rashi is saying, and thereby provide an opening for the enemy.
Because letter-based communication became so central to imperial rule, letter writing emerged as a prestigious craft. Composers of royal correspondence were trained in language, form, and official convention so that the king’s will would be expressed with clarity.
When I think of polarity, I think of a wife who wears a shmata when her husband comes home but gets dressed to the nines when she goes out with her lady-friends!
The Chofetz Chaim compares the rebuker to a merchant who is trying to sell his goods. Would the shopkeeper ever think that if he is hostile to the customers they would more readily agree to make a purchase?
The Chofetz Chaim compares the rebuker to a merchant who is trying to sell his goods. Would the shopkeeper ever think that if he is hostile to the customers they would more readily agree to make a purchase?
Our Sages wanted to make the connection between Amalek and Haman – who not only descended from Amalek but behaved in the particular style of Amalek in his desire and efforts to wipe out every man, woman, and child, the people of Mordechai.
At this point the Gemara assumes that it is improper to commit a sin even in order to achieve a higher purpose, such as fulfillment of the overall mitzvah.
The first fundamental principle of Jewish belief is that Hashem is the Creator of the world. He is the source of time, space, and all of existence.
Though Mordechai received no prophecy regarding the correct course of action – hence the term perhaps – this does not prevent him from issuing clear directives to Esther. He reflects on the situation and discerns what action Hashem expects from both of them.
Like people, relationships have ups and downs. They do not remain static and require constant nurturing and attention to maintain and enhance them.
He assumed it probably wasn’t a problem, but his uncertainty held him back. Was exchanging bills considered using company money? Was borrowing temporarily any different?
Something Borrowed, Something Blue “‘You Shall See It’ To Exclude A Nighttime Garment” (Menachos 43a)
June 26, 2026 
