Articles in Yearly Cycle
Passover & Purim: Is there a Connection?
Diametric Opposites
We have recently celebrated the holiday of Purim and are currently preparing for the holiday of Pesach – Passover. These two holidays are not only different from each other they are almost antithetical to one another.
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Sukkot/Simchat Torah: Pyramids of Unity
The Holiday Mitzvot
There are two Mitzvt that are specifically intended for the holiday of Sukkot, eating in the Sukkah (outdoor hut covered with S’chach, tree branches) and the blessing over the four species. The mitzvah designated for the holiday of Simchat Torah is the dancing and rejoicing of young and …
Chanukah: Why Is Our Light Different From All Other Lights?
Simple Lights
Have you ever noticed that seasonal lights are more glamorous then the Chanukah lights? Have you ever noticed that seasonal lights come adorned with trees, gifts and a kaleidoscope of color while our lights are simple and undecorated? Have you ever noticed that ironically (or maybe by Divine Providence) …
Shofar: A Wake Up call
The Fire Marshal
The Hebrew month of Elul is upon us. During the course of this month we sound the Shofar every day in preparation for the Rosh Hashanah holiday that is soon approaching. The story is told of a young man who was instructed by the village elders to travel …
Sukkot: The Holiday of Clouds and Huts
A Charming Celebration
Since my earliest childhood, the holiday of Sukkot held a special place in my heart. Sukkot equaled festivity, joy, celebration and of course an ad hoc family gathering of amateur Sukkah builders. My father would erect the walls of our little Sukkah hut and for eight days we …
Shavuot: Sinai and Beyond
Ascent and Descent
Shavuot is the holiday that celebrates the Torah, Mt. Sinai and the Ten Commandments. In conjunction with this holiday, the Jerusalem Talmud declares, ”Up till this point there was a separation between heaven and earth. The time had come to undo this separation, the heavens would descend to …
Simchat Torah: Start Again
A Page Turner
When was the last time you spent an entire year reading a two thousand-page novel and then launched into a second reading of it on the very day you finished? When was the last time you spent an entire year reading this novel for the second time and …
Rosh Hashanah and January First
Remarkably Different
The Rosh Hashanah celebrations differ greatly from those of the secular new Year. The first of January is a time for parties, Rosh Hashanah is welcomed with sounding the Shofar, somber prayers, and sobering thoughts.
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