Sometimes I get calls or messages just because I’m one of the last 5% of US rabbis up at a certain hour of the night. If a problem arises after 11 pm or midnight on the East Coast, a call to a local rabbi might be considered rude. But on the West Coast, it’s still early. The OU has a Daily Chizuk Call on weekdays at 1 pm EDT. I have spoken twice in the last few...Read more...
The Parasha begins with an odd repetition of two forms of the verb “Amira” (speaking). Rashi says that the doubling is to “warn the big about the small” (L’hazhir Gedolim Al HaK’tanim). That is usually translated as, “to warn the adults about the children,” and it means that adult Kohanim are commanded to convey to their children the special obligations that...Read more...
Tomorrow (Monday, April 22), Erev Pesach, is an intense day of activity. With the help of R' David Heber of the Star-K in Baltimore, here is a list of items to keep in mind. (Thank you to those who pointed out that the version sent out last week had mistakes. It is now fully up-to-date for this year.)
May the next Erev Pesach be the busiest ever, with a new Beit...Read more...
On the Halacha side, we like to give practical guidance. We’ve spoken about restrictions on work during the afternoon on Erev Pesach, and about the amounts needed for Matza and wine at the Seder.
This year I want to explain one of the most basic questions about Pesach, which is the nature of the prohibition on Chometz. The practical question is one I get every year: When we are selling...Read more...
