An Unesaneh Tokef Companion
As told to Chaia Frishman The chazzan begins to hum the familiar tune of Unesanu Tokef. Familiar, not because I’ve heard its melody in shul for the last few decades, but...
Intro to Selichos 5775: Rabbi Shalom Rosner
On the first night of selichot we ask God to listen to our “rina” and tefilla”, what do these 2 terms mean? How does this capture what we should be feeling?...
The Merry Go Round
The Malach (angel) sat behind the desk and looked sternly at Sam Stein. “79 times,” said the Malach. Sam had no idea what he meant. “Where in the world am I?”...
The Two Voices: A New Perspective on the Meaning...
God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but when we err He expects us to do Teshuva. Free will can lead us to make a mistake but it can also lead...
Halacha L’Maaseh on Rosh Hashana
Introduction Rosh Hashana is the beginning of the Jewish calendar year (there are three other dates that begin other aspects of the Jewish year). Rosh Hashana is observed for two days,...
Hilchos Uminhagei Rosh Hashanah
The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Rosh Hashana. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch and Rama,...
The Cry of the Shofar
There’s an old and totally apocryphal story about the nineteenth century French Jewish aristocrat Baron de Rothschild, whose wife was in her bedroom with a nurse, in the last stages of...
The Future of the Past
It’s strange, very strange. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the aseret yemei teshuvah, the ten days of repentance. We reflect on the past year, recall the bad we did and the...
The Love That Says No
When I was Chief Rabbi, each year before Rosh Hashanah I used to make a television film for the BBC. It was an interesting challenge. 99.5 per cent of the viewers...
Teshuva: Averting The Decree
This year we approach the New Year with more fear and trembling than for a very long time. This summer, in Gaza, we saw Israel, at double risk of Hamas missiles...
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- Asarah B'Tevet
- Birchat HaChama
- Chanukah
- Elul
- Fast of Esther
- Fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz
- Fast of Tisha B'Av
- Four Shabbatot
- Hoshanah Rabbah
- Lag BaOmer
- Months
- Passover
- Pesach Sheini
- Purim
- Rosh Hashanah
- Sefirat HaOmer
- Shabbat
- Shavuot
- Shmini Atzeret
- Shushan Purim
- Simchat Torah
- Sukkot
- The Three Weeks
- Tu B'Av
- Tu B'Shevat
- Tzom Gedaliah
- Yom HaAtzmaut
- Yom HaShoah
- Yom Hazikaron
- Yom Kippur
- Yom Yerushalayim
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