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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A Purim Name
My name is Sharon. What is the spiritual meaning of the name “Sharon?” Answer: Dear Sharon, The Talmud tells of Rav Meir, who was able to derive and understand a person’s nature, abilities, and mission in life based on the deeper meaning…
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Date of Purim
Do we celebrate Purim on the date that victory was declared in the Jewish war against their Persian enemies? When did the war commence and what was the war’s duration? Answer: The war was fought on the 13th of the…
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Hamantashen
Why do we eat Hamantashen (a filled triangular cookie) on Purim? Answer: The hamantash is three-cornered to signify that the man named Haman was “tash” (weakened in Hebrew) by the merit of the three patriarchs (as symbolized by the three…
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Megillah (Scroll) of Esther: Accuracy and Lessons
Do you believe that the book of Esther is historically accurate? If it is not, do you believe that the lessons we can learn from it are equally as valid? Answer: Thank you for asking this question. The answer is…
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Did the Jews Build the Pyramids?
On Passover when we read that the Egyptians forced us to do back-breaking work isn’t there the implication that the work was building the Egyptian pyramids? Not simply Pithom and Ramses? It certainly was implied when we studied this in…
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Chanukah Gelt
I know that the Dreidel game originated with children pretending to play with their spinning top, so the Greeks wouldn’t know that the adults inside were learning Torah. But, why do we give Chanukah Gelt (money)? What is the significance?…
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The History of Potato Latkes
What is the history behind the custom of eating Potato Latkes [pancakes] on Chanuka? Were potatoes eaten by the Jews of the second Temple era? Answer: Potatoes latkes [pancakes] are not involved in the story of Chanukah, and have only…
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What is a Sukkah?
What is a sukkah? Answer: A sukkah is a booth roofed with tree branches, plant stems or leaves. The Torah requires us to live in a sukkah on the seven days (outside Israel: eight days) of the holiday of Sukkos,…