Yom Kippur’s Final Call
While every tefillah of Yom Kippur is essential, Neilah (the last tefillah of Yom Kippur) is probably themost potent and intense prayer in the entire Jewish calendar. While Neilah lacks the lengthy confessionsthat appear in every other tefillah on Yom Kippur, it is brimming with calls of the thirteen mercifulattributes of Hashem. As the gates […]
Explore more
Rosh HaShanah and Shabbat: Sounding the Shofar in the Streets of Jerusalem
This year, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, our shuls will be silent from the sound of the shofar. As the Gemara in the fourth chapter of Tractate Rosh Hashanah explains (29b), the sages decreed that we should not blow shofar when Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbat, lest one come to inadvertently desecrate Shabbat […]
Explore more
Of Sticks and Bundles: Jerusalem’s Surprising Dispensation
In the times of the Second Temple, when we had the privilege of bringing sacrifices in Jerusalem and eating from sanctified foods, there was an intense emphasis on maintaining ritual purity. Unfortunately, there were many Jews who were not sufficiently knowledgeable in these laws to properly remain tahor (pure). This reality forced the sages to […]
Explore more
Mikdash Melekh: the Unsung Theme of Lecha Dodi
On the eve of Shabbat, in practically every Jewish community in the world, a beautiful piyyut is recited as part of the text of kabbalat Shabbat. Although historically speaking Lecha Dodi entered our liturgy relatively late in the game, it is probably one of the most beloved and well-known parts of the siddur recited by […]
Explore more