Rosh HaShanah
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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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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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Why Pray? Why Repent? Why not?
What motivation is there to really repent and be worried on the high holy days, I mean I’ve survived for years without praying a word so why start now? I’m not looking for a drawn out idea of how beautiful…
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The Tekiah Gedolah Shofar Blast
I have read that the sequence of the trumpet sounds on the Feast of Trumpets was first made about 300 CE in Rosh Hashanah 34. It does give a certain sequence of the shofar sounds, but the tekiah Gedolah is not…
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The Sages Eternal Decrees
When the Sages ruled not to take medicine on Shabbat, because you may come to grind it, although this is done in some circles, most of the time people do not grind their own medicine. Why would a ruling like…
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Hatarat Nedarim – Annulment of Vows
What is Hatarat Nedarim? Why is it prayed so many times? What is the importance of this prayer, what do we learn from it? What happens with the promises that we are sure we did but not accomplished? Answer: Hatarat…
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High Holiday Opportunity
Regarding Yom Kippur, why is there a necessity in Judaism to designate a particular day for atonement when one could atone any minute of the day as he or she chooses? Isn’t G-d listening all the time? Why designate a…
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Rosh Hashana Greeting
What is the proper greeting for Rosh Hashanah? Answer: In the period of time leading up to Rosh Hashanah we typically wish each other that our being written and inscribed (i.e. in the Book of Life) be for the good.…
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High Holiday Charity
Is there a prescribed amount or a specific time of year that one should be donating to charity or those less fortunate than one’s self? Answer: Generally, one should donate at least 10% of one’s earnings to charity (assuming one…