Mitzvos (Commandments)
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Eating Fish and Meat Together
What is the source of the prohibition against eating meat with fish? This prohibition is found in the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 116:2. It is based on the Talmud’s statement in Pesachim 76b that fish that was roasted together with…
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Kemach Yoshon
What is Kemach Yoshon? Why are so many more people particular about it today than ten years ago? The Torah (VaYikra 23:14) forbids eating grain products (made of wheat, barley, oats, spelt, or rye) that took root after the 16th…
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The Ke-betzah and the Ke-zayis
>What are the volumes of an egg (ke-betzah) and an olive (ke-zayis)? There are two views about the volume of an egg; it’s either 58 cc (cubic centimeters) or 100 cc. (According to the latter view, eggs in the time…
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The Mezuza as a Protector
A sick friend of mine was told to change the scrolls in the mezuzah on her door. What is the significance of this and why was it suggested? The mezuzah is a small piece of parchment with two paragraphs from…
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The Mezuzah
What is a Mezuzah? A mezuzah is made from parchment from a kosher species of animal. A sofer (scribe) writes two paragraphs from the Torah upon this parchment, Devarim 6:4-9 and Devarim 11:13-21. These two sections also make up the…
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Fish Separate from Meat
Why does fish have to be eaten separately from meat? The Talmud teaches that it is dangerous to eat meat and fish together. The commentaries are not certain whether the Talmud refers to a physical danger or a spiritual danger,…