יום שישי, ז׳ תשרי תשפ״זFriday, September 18, 2026
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By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
According to Chazal, the Seder night is a night on which Hashem provides the Jewish people with additional spiritual protection. A night when we are unconcerned with harm. A night when we feel safe. This sense of safety and security finds expression in Jewish law and custom.
If 90 Seconds was the book I couldn’t put down, Angels in Orange is the book I could hardly pick up. But it is a critical book for every Jew to have.
Pesach is not only the time to remember our initial redemption from Egypt, but it is also the time of redemption that will pave the way for our future redemption, which is the culmination of that initial redemption.
By Our Readers
No one has claimed that he could not have declassified the documents – only that he didn’t. No one has charged that he compromised national security by retaining them. Yet. he is being charged under the Federal Espionage Act!
By Dr. Simcha Chesner and Dr. Sara Markowitz
Recognizing the need for targeted support during the holidays, Kosher ADHD offers pre-chag events to go over the aspects of the holiday that are most challenging for individuals with ADHD and their caregivers.
His reply was quick in coming. I’ve heard of a segula if the Pesach wine used for the makkos is poured on the doorstep of irritating neighbors they might move out, he informed him. Of course, Asher and Malkie were very excited to hear about this unusual segula and couldn’t wait for the seder to end so they could implement it.
You might be scratching your head (do diaries have heads????) and wondering why this irresponsible wife did not call the paramedics and rush hubby to the hospital for CT scans and MRIs. That would have been the proper approach for a younger and healthier person.
The Gemara (Gittin 29a; B.M. 29b) teaches that a person who borrows something may not lend it to others without the owner's permission, replied Rabbi Dayan. This applies even to a sefer Torah, despite the mitzvah involved (C.M. 342:1).
What Exactly Is ADD? ADD is a neurological disorder characterized by inappropriate levels of inattention, over-activity, and impulsivity. Symptoms arise in early childhood but are not always identified correctly.
The Case Of The Conflicting Commitments ‘A Breach of Faith (Bava Metzia 49a)
By dvora
I am writing to you because I have been fired from my job for doing the right thing!
By Irwin Cohen
After more than 70 years of watching the Detroit Tigers what team do I get to see now. Lakewood has the Blue Claws, the low minor league team of the Philadelphia Phillies, but I don't expect that their games are televised.
Then I started working. I worked for two years at the sales office of Max Factor Cosmetics. Benno started working at Neutra’s, and then we, little by little, became very integrated into American society. And we wanted to. We wanted to become Americanized.
This is the skyline of Sderot today. We are building and winning and being renewed.
If destroying an embryo is akin to murder, what does that mean for IVF treatment, which involves producing multiple embryos, some of which are implanted, others stored for future use, and still others destroyed?
Question: On most mornings, after the Amidah we recite Tachanun. It seems that there are many days, including the entire month of Nissan, when such is not the case. My question is, what are those days and why don't we recite on those days? M. Solow Via email
Set realistic goals for what needs to be accomplished. It is important to focus on the most important areas such as the kitchen, dining area, and other places that chametz is generally found.
Every participant will receive this matbei’a shel eish, a coin of fire, representing the fire of the Rambam and the fire of the Rebbe. Ure’isem oso uz’chartem – whenever one sees the coin, he or she will remember what the coin stands for; the daily learning of Rambam.
A second primary argument centers around whether this war is a milchemet mitzvah. The Rambam appears to make it clear that when the Jewish nation is murderously attacked, it is a milchemet mitzvah shel ezrat Yisrael mi’yad tzar (saving the Jewish people from a murderous enemy).
The map is rather rudimentary, with just a border and a few place names, but its appearance in print was a major achievement, anything other than text was very labor-intensive to include in the printing blocks of the day and thus costly.
The Christian thinker Blaise Pascal was awed by the eternity of our people: “These people are not eminent solely by their antiquity, but are also singular by their duration, which has continued from their origin till now.
It’s time to slow things down. Nothing has changed. Everything is still going smoothly. You still like each other. You still want to continue dating. The only addition, is that he is ready to discuss your future, and you are not – yet.
Even when we have no merit of our own, as the winter passes and the first shoots of spring emerge, the sanctity of our patriarchs works to our benefit to bring about the end of the exile.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The most compelling illustration of what the tradition is speaking about when it talks of the gravity of motsi shem ra, slander, and lashon hara, evil speech, is Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello.
Gabe, which wines are you having this year for the four cups? I am asked this question every year, countless times. Does it really matter? It does, yes.
I have recently suggested that this segulah should be implemented to help bring the hostages home by reciting a short tefillah followed by the words, Eloka D’Meir aneini, three times.
The biggest stumbling block for many investors is themselves. The tendency for people to get in their own way is usually what prevents folks from achieving success in the markets.
I believe the reason why we zoom in on the transgressions of the tongue is because it is the most ruinous of sins.
The diversity and creativity of the topics that were covered and the speakers from all over the world were nothing short of mind-boggling.
An inspiring answer is that Israel’s definition of happiness is deeply rooted in the Prophet Isaiah’s vision of the Jewish people’s role as an ohr lagoyim, a light unto the nations.
Over and above his public welfare efforts on behalf of milk pasteurization and preventing tuberculosis, Straus’s largesse and contributions were by no means limited to Jewish institutions and causes.
By Marc Gronich
To my colleagues in government, including our United States Senator [Charles Schumer], we have an obligation to support the state of Israel and its government. We cannot and should not ever tell the Israeli people what to do with their government. We don’t want others interfering in our elections and we should never interfere in theirs.
Although today our matzot are thin and hard, they used to be made thick and soft, and this remains the custom of some Sephardim today.
By Our Readers
To be sure, the President didn’t quite accuse Israel of intentionally causing the unnecessary deaths of civilians. But he came awfully close when he said he would hold them responsible for knowingly continuing policies that didn’t minimize civilian harm.
There is a fundamentally deeper understanding of a challenge – one that reveals the very core spiritual purpose and effect of a test.
Presumably, the Yerushalmi calls the mice wicked because instead of merely eating what they need to survive, they also invite their friends over to party.
Although not present in my circles, it's hard not to admire the grandeur. It’s also hard to mistake the shtreimel as anything but a sign of proud Judaism.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
The shtreimel serves as a tangible connection to the rich cultural heritage of Eastern European Jews. By wearing the shtreimel, individuals affirm their identity and connection to their ancestors who also wore similar attire.
Shtreimel signifies pride in Judaism and in traditions. It’s pride in connecting our current to our past.
My shtreimel is my symbol of Jewish pride and not because it’s become trendy, but because I’ve been wearing it since the day I got married in the tradition that goes back in my family several generations. It’s my greatest honor and privilege to do so.
By David Curwin
Another possibility is that shtreimel is related to the Polish word stroj meaning uniform, clothes. Maybe it meant the “uniform” of those Jews wearing it, or perhaps it also had a specific association with head coverings.
Although the redemption happened over three thousand years ago, it has different meaning in every generation.
At the outset, we note that the war in Gaza has demonstrated what Israel is capable of bringing to the table. Granted, Hamas is not Iran. But the Gaza experience has to make Iran think long and hard about a direct confrontation with Israel nonetheless.
Since the beginning of the year we have been going thought so much pain and devastation. So much grief and lamentation. We have troubles from outside and troubles from within. G-d in heaven hear our cry. Master of the world, see our pain. Hashem, our Father save us.
Twice the 20th of Sivan was designated as a day commemorating Jewish tragedies, and twice the observance faded until it is now entirely obsolete. Many observant Jews do not even know it was once a serious day of mourning.
They tried to explain he had Alzheimer’s and they implored upon them to try one more time to check that David was safe. Reluctantly they finally agreed and told them to return in two days.
Dementia is a bear. The questions he is asking are valid. The conclusions are not.
If a shadchan from one place went and made a shidduch elsewhere, his default fee is according to the place where he made the shidduch.
Sometimes parents may not know if their child is being bullied. Some children are intimidated into secrecy. They may also keep quiet because they feel ashamed that they have allowed this to happen. They may fear that the parents will either criticize them or will intervene in a way that will make everything worse.
Ensnarement and Atonement: ‘The Only Proper Guarding of Coins Is in the Ground’ (Bava Metzia 42a)
It is the notion that the Arabs, and in turn Hamas, cannot understand or accept that He hit me back. They cannot acknowledge the fact that the Israeli army is so powerful and is not subservient to them and that now they must recognize its superiority.
You didn’t have to be rich to have a cleaning girl in the house, a live-in. You always had live-in help because there were so many of those peasant girls who would come and… We would have sometimes two in the house.
Had I had any suspicion that this was a clinic that engaged in affirmative action, I would have wondered about this anesthesiologist: Was she chosen, at least in part, because she was black?
Question: I would like to know why there are four special readings of the Torah during the period between Purim and Pesach. Also, why do we call each of those four Shabbatot by a special name, such as Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor, etc., which we don't do otherwise? Celia Gluck Via Email
I listen as one woman, Chaya, as she is being interviewed about her twin brother, Arnon. She describes how on October 7, her brother was not called up. He simply went to the Gaza border when he heard what had happened. ‘But you have no ammunition! You were not yet called!’ he was told.
Avi took one line from Ka Echsof (a song that many sing during the Shabbat dinner) and sang it slowly, over and over again: May your mercies spread over your holy people.
I want you to know that you are not alone in this dilemma and drinking has made Purim a challenging Yom Tov for many women. I am not a Rav but I know there are men who do not drink on Purim and keep all the other mitzvos.
This presents a grave challenge, which should command our attention long before Passover and the Seder night. For no Jewish child should be forgotten and given up.
By Ariela Davis
The challenges of making aliyah on a short timeline and in the midst of lockdown were many, but Tali says, Once we made the decision, Hashem carried us on His back to our new life...
Before he could serve as the people’s agent for atonement, Aharon had to bring an ayil, a ram as an Olah offering. The ayil represents Yitzchak, who was prepared to bring the ultimate korban – himself.
Another well-known example that I obtained recently is the first edition of the Shu"t Meshiv Davar, containing the responsa of R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893), best known by his acronym the Netziv, who served as rosh yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva for decades.
Halacha is not “fact.” It is not one decision, but is determined by the Rabbi or Sanhedrin with human intellect to understand how to apply the will of G-d, as expressed by that mitzvah or halacha in a particular circumstance and time.
Someone is calling you to ask about this person’s character, intelligence, background, and more. They are not asking you to predict the future, to see through your crystal ball, or to decide the fate of the person they are calling you about.
Sometimes, suffering is decreed from above – often as a punishment for sin. Hashem punished the first man and woman for their sins on their first day of existence and has continued to do so ever since.
By Avi Ciment
Hashem wanted someone who was going to reach higher and actively seek out Hashem, and that came in the form of Avraham Avinu. Even when G-d Almighty was visiting him after his bris, when he had every reason to calmly ignore the doorbell, he ignored the pain and received his guests. (Remember, this is pre-Advil and Vicodin.)
By Marc Gronich
The way state aid works, students are entitled to aid, not schools. Schools in New York state do not get state aid from the state. Students are entitled to certain aid based on choices parents make.
We are not simply natural constructs, inhabitants of the planet Earth, but we are spiritual beings in service of our Creator. When we perform the mitzvot of blessing the new moon and of defining the calendar, we are accentuating this aspect of our identity.
The source of each quote, paraphrase or inspiration in each chapter is cited in a lengthy appendix at the end of the book. And the sources extend beyond the usual ones, even to Rambam's extensive medical writings and letters.
Giving charity is one of the greatest single merits that one can accrue. We also learn that charity has the power to atone for one’s sins. It even has the power to bring the redemption closer (Bava Basra 10a).
Kaufman, a nonagenarian, still exercises every day and limits the time he spends sitting. He devotes a great amount of time to staying healthy, so that he lives a long life in which he can dedicate himself – body and soul – to serving G-d.
The fact that the pasuk is 42 letters alludes to one of the Ineffable Name of Hashem which has 42 letters.
Rabbi Dee is active in a number of projects which give him energy and hope, and he is grateful to his family and friends, and the love and support demonstrated by the Jewish people in the past year.
As the highest-ranking Torah-observant elected official since Mordechai HaTzaddik, his story is not just remarkable; it's historic.
Wilson recognized in American Jews a spiritual force that had adapted itself to the American spirit and made broad contributions to the advancement of the welfare of the nation and of the world.
There are several reasons for the requirement to use mayim shelanu. According to some, the reason is that the wells and springs are warm in the springtime, and cold water must be used for baking the matzot.
It was just several weeks ago that Germany intervened in the International Court of Justice in defense of Israel’s conduct of the war against South Africa’s charges of genocide.
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.
By Marc Gronich
We have elected leaders who have stood with a terror network. We have elected leaders who have called the elected government of Israel to step down while allowing a terror network to remain in place. … It’s a growing threat.
When I asked my class why we give shalach manos on Purim, one of my students replied, So that our friend gives us back!
My watch is eight years old, its age unforgettable because my husband bought it for me the year I was in aveilus for my father. His death had left me untethered, disconnected; the watch promised connection – no more missed phone calls and texts delivered instantly to my wrist.
These days, as was the case during many such difficult periods in our long history, doing the bris on the eighth day has taken on new meaning.
During the Pesach Seder, we say that eight is the days until the baby’s bris. But there is something else which also has the significance of the number eight, and that is Shmini Atzeres.
Have you ever considered that even the Hebrew word for eight, shemonah, literally means to nourish.
As my father, Rabbi Uziel Milevsky, of blessed memory, taught me, it is the number beyond the natural.
They say one mitzvah leads to another, and that is certainly the case with Tops Liquor. Cohen says the place has become a hub with customers now inviting him to their homes for meals, bringing over challah, and he was even gifted with a new pair of tefillin.
Those who are cleaning for Pesach must remember that preparation for Pesach is a mitzvah and that theme should always be portrayed so that their children will learn from their actions.
While no definitive conclusions have been announced by either – although an extension of the ban by the U.S. would indicate that there is at least some substance to the charges – Israel has already charged that an interim report by the UN was a cover up and a transparent attempt to get the funding resumed.
Today, in our generation there is so much confusion and promiscuity. So what do we think about when we want to prepare for such a holy holiday with so much meaning?
In the past three years, during the Biden administration, Palestinian privilege has been elevated to new heights. The U.S. State Department, staffed with anti-Zionist activists at the upper levels, has appropriated funds for investigating supposed Israeli misconduct in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank).
The Jewish community stood up and showed we are not going to be intimidated, we are going to stand up for our rights, and we’re not going to let outsiders interfere with our programming, said Steve Fox, president of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Teaneck.
September 18, 2026 
