This episode begins with the laws of chametz, leavened bread, on the holiday of Passover. Interestingly, in addition to the famous prohibition against eating chametz on Passover, there is actually a less-known law prohibiting even owning chametz on Pesach! After defining what exactly chametz is, we’ll learn how to avoid all the prohibitions regarding chametz,…

The concept of Kosher is probably one of the most well-known Torah laws in the world. Why is that? Is there a deeper theme behind it that reflects the broader lessons of Torah? In this episode, we’ll discuss that which the great Kabbalists before us, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lozzatto, Rabbi Shneur Zalmen of Liadi and…

The Kaddish is one of the mot powerful prayers that we have. The Talmud goes so far as to say that the Kaddish is one of two merits that allow the world to continue to exist. Additionally, the Kaddish is one of the most observed rituals in Judaism. Even Jews who don’t frequently attend services,…

The verse states that G-d loves peace and makes peace, and yet when it comes to the nation of Amalek, G-d very strongly condemns them and demands the Jewish nation to completely destroy any trace memory of them. Why is that? Why would a peaceful G-d desire that? There must be more to the Amalekite…

One of the great themes of the holiday of Purim is the concept of “Vinahafoch Hu,” and it is completely reversed. This concept appears throughout the Purim story and alludes to the fact that all of the parts of the story that appeared initially as gloomy, difficult and mournful in the end were reversed and…

Every Friday night, we begin the Shabbos meal with sanctifying the Shabbos over a cup of wine (making Kiddush). It seems like such a simple action, but the Talmud teaches that through saying this Kiddush, we are actually becoming partners with God in the creation of the world! What does that mean? How does saying…

In many places throughout the Torah and Rabbinic writing we find an emphasis on clothing. There are mitzvahs about the clothing we wear, and there’s even an entire Torah portion on the materials and style of the priests’ clothing in the tabernacle and temple. Why does God care about our clothing? Doesn’t God care more…

The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning it aligns with the cycles of both the sun and the moon. Since the solar year is 11 days longer than the lunar year, every few years (occurring 7 times in every 19 years) we add an extra month to the year, to align these two calendars….

One of the most recognizable Jewish dishes is the gefilte fish. Often served with a cooked carrot and a side of beets and horseradish sauce, known as chrein, it’s probably the most classic appetizer at any Ashkenazi shabbos table. In this episode, we begin with the history of the gefilte and actually discover it wasn’t…

The Mishna (Rosh HaShanah 2a) teaches us that the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat is the “New Years for the Trees.” In the practical sense this impacts multiple laws of agriculture as explained in the Torah. But is that all it is? Is it merely a birthday for the trees or is…