The Calendar and Holidays (incl. Sabbath)
- Chanukah
- Other Holidays and Fasts
- Passover
- Purim
- Rosh HaShanah
- Shavuos
- Sukkos
- The Jewish Calendar
- The Sabbath
- Yom Kippur
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“Avinu Malkeinu” – “Our Father, Our King”
I’ve decided to speak on the topic of the “Avinu Malkeinu” (“Our Father, Our King) prayer. Can you tell me some things about it? Answer: I’ll try to give you a few of the highlights of the Avinu Malkeinu prayer.…
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Torah Given in Installments
I was wondering what exactly we received at Mt Sinai. I know that we heard the Ten commandments. I am also aware of the fact that there is a dispute in the Talmud as to how the parts in the…
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Dairy Foods on Shavuos
What is the reason for the custom of eating dairy foods on Shavuos? Answer: There are numerous explanations given for this interesting custom. Here are just a few. These undoubtedly contain allusions to deeper concepts beyond the scope of this…
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Elijah and Passover
Would you explain the tradition of the empty chair for Elijah at the Passover table? Answer: The most common tradition is to have a cup for Elijah the Prophet at the table that is usually filled with wine near the…
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Four Questions and the Youngest Child
Why does the youngest child always ask the 4 questions on Passover? Answer: Our Rabbis tell us that the reason that it is the youngest who asks the four questions, is so that he/she will remain an active participant in…
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Maror – Bitter Herbs
Why do we eat the Maror (Bitter Herbs) on Passover? Answer: God commanded us to eat 3 foods on the first night of Passover to remember 3 aspects of the miraculous way we were freed from Egyptian slavery. The Matzah…
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Queen Esther’s Children
Were Queen Esther’s children raised as Jews? Answer: You are asking an excellent question. I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I can give you food for thought. In order to serve G-d as a Jewess, without being turned…
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Why not begin the Torah on Rosh Hashana?
If Rosh Hashana is the beginning of the year and the time of Adam’s birth why do we not start the cycle of reading the Torah until Simchat Torah? Shouldn’t Simchat Torah and Rosh Hashana technically occur simultaneously? Answer: Thanks for…
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Secret of the Seven Rounds
Why do we march with the Torah on the Simchas Torah holiday seven times and why does the bride walk around the groom seven times? Answer: Good question! In general, we find many patterns of seven in the Torah. The…