By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Kalman was a dear friend of mine. Though I treasured his friendship, he was operating on an entirely different plane of existence. For example, one day we were walking down the street when a car pulled up. Some...
In the story of Creation, God ends every day by noting the day and saying it was good. The formula established on the first day reads, “And there was evening and there was morning, a first day” (Genesis 1:5). One notable divergence is...
Jews around the world fast from sunrise to sunset on the 13th of Adar. This fast day, called the Fast of Esther, is held just before the holiday of Purim. It is considered a minor fast and is more lenient in its observance, particularly...
WHEN: Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar. In a leap year, in which an additional month of Adar is added, Purim is celebrated in Adar Bet, the second month of Adar. Shushan Purim, the day following Purim, is the day when the holiday...
The Shabbat which immediately precedes the holiday of Purim is known as Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of remembering. In addition to the regular Torah reading, we read the verses commanding the Jews to remember what Amalek did to them when...
The Bible does not name the Hebrew months, but declares that the month containing the holiday of Passover, the month we refer to as Nisan, is the first month. The month preceding Nisan is Adar, and therefore, according to the Biblical...
The experience at Mount Sinai was an unprecedented revelation of God’s glory that pushed the limits of human perception. This is reflected in the descriptions offered by the sages. When it came time for the people to approach the...