Parashat Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר
The book of “Bamidbar” (“במדבר") has ten parashot, that coincide with the Ten Commandments, and Moshe will be teaching Bnei-Yisrael their true and divine details. There are 159 verses (“קנט”) in our Parasha, which...
The 22 best Yiddish words to know
A brief glossary of important and commonly used Yiddish words and phrases.
Bissel (bisl)— A little bit, as in “I just want to eat a bissel right now.”
Bubbe (bubby) — Grandmother
Chutzpah —Nerve, extreme arrogance, brazen presumption, confidence, as...
Parashat Ki Tavo כִּי-תָבוֹא
The first word in our Parasha is “Vehaya” (“והיה") and it has the same letters of HaShem’s name in Hebrew ("יהוה" - Y.H.V.H), alluding to that He kept his promise to our forefathers and...
Parashat Korach קֹרַח
The first word in our Parasha is “Vayikach “וַיִּקַּח “ (and he took). We understand from this word that when one “takes” without asking, one should expect to “receive” the consequences. It is always...
Parashat Pekudei פְקוּדֵי
Moshe provided Bnei-Yisrael a precise accounting of the Tabernacle donations and content; this Tabernacle is a testimony that HaShem forgave Bnei-Yisrael. Essentially, Moshe provided an accurate “ledger” of all that was donated for the...
Nothing fancy — just ‘love’ at Kosherfest 2017
Kosherfest is decidedly not a gourmet festival or fancy food show. No one is talking sous vide cooking, and there’s no pulled sugar to be found. Best-in-show this year was a frozen deep-dish pizza...
Parashat Shoftim שֹׁפְטִים
The first two words in our Parasha, judges and police officers (“שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים”) allude to the simplicity of our earthly legal system and its basic implementation. The word “Shoftim” has another word in it,...
My Life-Changing Encounter with an Elder Kabbalist
Sunday of this week, the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Av, marked the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yitzhak Luria Ashkenazi, the holy Arizal, who is universally considered the father of modern Kabbalah. The...
Where to eat Kosher in Mexico City
La Muertita—the Little Dead Woman—sets up her quesadilla stall every evening on a busy commercial thoroughfare called Prolongación in the hilly neighborhood of Bosques de Reforma on the western outskirts of Mexico City. She...
Ancient Israelites: society & lifestyle
Two main social structures competed in ancient Israel. The people were united under the monarchy, which organized the state for administrative and taxation purposes. At the same time, the Israelites held fast to their...