Pesach and Beyond

How was your Pesach? Any stories to share? Triumphs? Challenges? Thoughts on bringing your inspiration forward?

Gebroks or Non-Gebroks…That is the Question

Pesach is here and here’s a blast from the past first published on April 06, 2006. Shayna was one of original contributors and if you’re still checking, we hope everything is going well with you and your family. Being kosher seemed like a good way to be a true Jew, so I called the local [...]

The Centrality of Appreciating Hashem’s Hashgachah

The Rambam’s 13 principles of faith can be grouped into three: – Belief in G-d – Belief in Prophecy – Belief in Hashgachah The Ramchal structures the first three sections of Derech Hashem along these lines with the fourth section emphasing Serving G-d. The famous Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo details how Yetzias [...]

Structure of Maggid According to the Malbim

According to the Malbim (although there is a dispute whether it really is the Malbim) the structure of the narrative portion of the Haggadah is based on the verse in the Torah from which the obligation to tell the story is derived: And you shall relate to your child on that day, saying “It is [...]

Seder Challenges

Rabbi Mordechai Scher www.kolberamah.org Sometimes it’s worth knowing someone has been here before me. So many of us, as hozrim beteshuvah, want to share the light of Torah with family and friends. Pesach is one of those prime times. We may be the first for generations to do a complete, traditional seder. We want to [...]

How Do You Make The Most Out of Pesach?

It’s the greatest night of the year with the potential for tremendous growth. How do you get the most out Pesach? a) Share lots of vorts on various parts of the seder. b) Focus on performing the mitzvos of the night in the best possible manner. c) Read the Hagaddah with praise and thanks for [...]

Goodness More Than Gracious

By: Rabbi Yehuda Horowitz, Mashgiach Ruchani, Mesivta Ateres Yaakov In last week’s parsha we are taught the halachos of a metzorah. The tzoraas was a skin disease which wasn’t due to the physical deficiency of the body, rather it was a heaven sent message of the spiritual shortcomings of the one who was tamei. He [...]

How High Are Your Fences?

When it comes to dealing with non-Torah influences most families and communities build fences. The basic difference is how high are the fences. There is probably a continuum of fence heights but the overall policies can perhaps be described as: 1) Let everything in and throw out that which is inappropriate 2) Let almost nothing [...]

Parshas HaChodesh

By Yered Viders What’s “new” and why is it so important? So focal that Rosh Chodesh is the very first mitzvah given the Jewish nation? So critical that Hashem could have “cut-and-paste” so-to-speak the opening words of the Torah and in place of “In the beginning,” begun the Eternal Word of Emes with “This month [...]

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