The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Daniel Rosenthal Rabbi Daniel Rosenthal ZT"L passed away on the fifteenth of Shevat 5784 (January 26th, 2024.) Much of the following is based upon the eulogy I delivered at his funeral in Bet Shemesh, Israel. My revered mentor and rav...

This month’s Torah content has been sponsored by the following generous donors: Mr. Allen and Mrs. Lobat Hakim in memory of Allen’s parents, Yaakov ben Binyamin and Miriam bat Yehuda Mr. Daniel Etessami Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Joyce Karmily Mr. Josh Amini, for the speedy...

This month's Torah content has been sponsored by the following generous donors: Mr. Allen and Mrs. Lobat Hakim in memory of Allen's parents, Yaakov ben Binyamin and Miriam bat Yehuda Mr. Daniel Etessami Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Joyce Karmily Mr. Josh Amini, for the speedy...

Dearest Zehara,When you were born we made a huge catered party because we wanted to be sure that it was clear that our celebration of the birth of a girl was no less joyous and exciting than the celebration we held for the birth of your brother just a few years...

1.       Genuinely love your congregation with all of your heart and soul, like a father loves his children. Don’t stand aloof at the sidelines and don’t be afraid to experience or show raw emotion. Celebrate with your congregants in...

I'm too distraught at the moment to fully formulate my thoughts...So I will surely have more to say about this tragic event later. In the meantime, let me remark that Rav Ovadiah Z"L was without a doubt the greatest Sephardic scholar of (at least) the past...

This is a piece I wrote that was published in the Washington Jewish Week a couple of years ago. Although the High Holiday season has passed, I was reminded of the article and present it here: The liturgy of the High Holidays abounds in sublime and majestic poetry....

In Chapter 14 of Avot DeRabbi Natan, we read a fascinating story about consoling mourners in their time of bereavement. Specifically, we are told how Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai, the spiritual leader of the Jewish people in the wake of...

I just rediscovered this essay, which I believe I wrote when I was about seventeen years old (approximately twenty years ago). There is a lot here that I would rephrase/edit/add/subtract today, but I resist the temptation to revise history and...

This lecture, which I delivered at the Hillel of the University of Maryland, attempts to articulate the differences in worldview, philosophy and practice between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews. Based on the feedback I have received from many Jews of both backgrounds...

                                         קיצור הלכות...

I was honored to be invited by the City of Rockville to deliver the invocation at the Veterans Day Ceremony tomorrow. Here is the text I composed for the occasion: Almighty God, we gather today to honor the beloved veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States of...

As you may or may not know, in the State of Maryland, several referendum questions will be presented to voters in the ballot box on Election Day. Question #6 asks the voter whether he or she supports "marriage equality" - in other words, whether we believe that the...

I am pleased to present my translation of Derekh Hokhma, The Way of Wisdom, written by the illustrious Rabbi Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto. Rabbi Luzzatto, better known as the Ramchal, is perhaps most famous for his classic ethical work, Mesilat Yesharim. In Derekh Hokhma,...

Many people have already viewed  "The Rabbi's Daughter", a moving film that offers the viewer a glimpse of the lives of three young women whose fathers are prominent Orthodox Rabbis but who themselves are no longer religiously observant. The movie is...

It is a well-known fact that many families maintain their synagogue membership only to ensure that their children will be able to have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony when they come of age. This is particularly true among non-traditional or...

In the latest post on Hirhurim, Rabbi Raphael Davidovich responds to Rabbi Broyde's recent article on Women's Torah reading with a basic ideological critique. He accuses Rabbi Broyde of essentially burying his head in the sand of halakhic...

One of the signature features of Orthodoxy is the assignment of different public roles to men and women, and the reservation of specific ritual duties to males and females, respectively. In the past, I have been invited to a number of discussion forums that dealt with...

There is a widely accepted tradition that the judgment determined on Yom Kippur is finalized, once and for all, on Hoshanna Rabba, the last day of the Festival of Sukkot. The liturgy and melodies of Hoshana Rabba reflect this idea by imitating or borrowing from those...

This is the audio of the talk I gave last night. Essentially, it is a discussion of the stories of Sarah and Hanna (the Torah and Haftara readings for Rosh Hashana), the common themes that emerge from those narratives and their relevance to the High Holidays and our...

Please follow the new series of Daf Yomi (daily Talmud) lectures at Magen David Sephardic Congregation by visiting our official blog: Doing The Daf. We are one of the only Sephardic synagogues in the world to maintain a Daf Yomi shiur and publish it online!

I was very excited to receive my copy of the new English Koren Edition of the Talmud Bavli, Masekhet Berakhot, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. The Jewish world has been enriched by Rabbi Steinsaltz's prodigious contributions to Torah...

I recently heard an amusing anecdote about a young Orthodox man who, leaving his apartment building one morning, was approached to sign a petition in support of legalizing gay marriage. He politely declined. As he walked away, the petitioner shouted after him,...

In addition to forbidding the consumption of hametz (leavened products) on Passover, the Torah emphatically prohibits us from owning any hametz during the holiday as well. Indeed, the Torah commands us to rid ourselves of hametz on the eve of Passover, which is done...

Essential Laws of Pesah by Rabbi Joshua Maroof איסור החמץ -The Prohibition of Hametz 1. On Pesah we are not permitted to eat or to possess any hametz. This includes any food product that contains one of the five grains (wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt) or one of...

THE WRITER RAV Give him what you write and he'll make it RIGHT! Do you struggle to express yourself clearly, elegantly or persuasively in writing? Organized, stylish and effective writing gives you the competitive edge in school, business and your personal life. The...

Three questions about the confessions of sin we recite on Yom Kippur - included in all five of the prayers of the day - had been bothering me for years until a conversation with my wife Elana last year opened my mind up to a totally new perspective that sheds...

The Open Orthodox movement is taking leave of any semblance of halakhic legitimacy at an alarming pace. Debating the acceptability of reciting a blessing ordained by the Sages of the Talmud was merely a strategy for testing the proverbial waters, an attempt to see...

In a post earlier this week, I took issue with an author on the "Morethodoxy" website, Open Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky. R' Kanefsky has been promoting the view that the blessing שלא עשני אשה , despite its basis in the Talmud and its unanimous acceptance in classic...

Cross-Currents has agreed to edit the post that gratuitously linked me to Open Orthodox ideology and practices. Many thanks to the authors of Cross-Currents for making what I believe to be the right decision in this matter.

Recently, a blog post published by Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky concluded that we should no longer recite the blessing שלא עשני אשה  and that, in fact, to do so constitutes a חילול השם. The author adduces several questionable sources to support his proposal and which can...

Please take a moment to visit my new blog, "Sephardic Bet Midrash":http://sephardicbetmidrash.blogspot.comI will be presenting summaries of the in-depth classes in Halakha that we conduct here at Magen David Sephardic Congregation every Thursday night. Currently, we...

I Can Say Goodbye I can say goodbye to you today Like a flower says goodbye To the soil that fills its veins with life, And wrapped gingerly in a blanket of tears is laid On chilly graveyard’s impenetrable ground Or is left by fluttering hearts to wait and wilt On...

The process of bidding farewell to my Congregation in Maryland has been immensely painful. Although I believe that I am making the right decision for my family, facing the prospect of leaving behind so many beloved friends has broken my heart. The Prophet, by Khalil...

This week's Parasha begins with the words "Vayaqhel Moshe", and Moshe gathered the Jewish people together. In this instance, the purpose of the gathering was to educate the Children of Israel - to present them with an exhortation about the observance of Shabbat, and...

The neglect I have shown my blogs over the past couple of years is the result of multiple causes - less time at my disposal being a primary one - and returning to the blogosphere feels awkward and seems like it demands a "reason". This itself becomes a reason to...

(Cross posted on my Ask the Rabbiblog.) Once again, I am happy to present this brief guide to the Laws of Pesah, revised and updated for 5770. Because of difficulties with GooglePages, the PDF is not currently available online. However, I can certainly email you a...

Take a look at this video of my son, Netanel, reading from the Torah this morning. He is chanting the text according to the Sephardi-Yerushalmi melody. Although this was not his debut performance (he read the Haftara of Shabbat Shuva as well as nearly all of the...

VisionsMy eyes toward visions of God I raiseThough inner shadows obstruct my gazeAnd feet that would upon God’s path have treadLead me far away from Him instead. My God, I pray, do let Your wisdom’s lightRelieve me of the burden of my plightTake heed of my sincere...

My Treasure A treasure not sought after much By elderly or youth; A beauty not admired as such By primitive or couth. The satisfaction she provides Is not for sale in stores; No advertisements or bromides No international tours. The cynics and the skeptics doubt What...

I just revisited one of my posts from last year on the topic of Fasting and Mourning. I probably should have drawn attention to it earlier given its relevance to the observance of Tisha B'av, but I suppose it is better late than never.

The Sages observe that, each time the Torah describes Moshe Rabbenu getting angry, he is also depicted as erring in his conduct or making a mistake in his application of halakha. The final instance of this is provided in Parashat Mattot, wherein Moshe Rabbenu becomes...

The Talmud (Yoma 9B) tells us that the first Bet Hamiqdash was destroyed because of three grave sins that had become widespread in Israel - idolatry, sexual immorality and murder. What is remarkable about this description of the failings that lead to the destruction...

On July 10th, Yated Ne'eman, a well-known Orthodox newspaper, published a scathing critique of Open Orthodoxy and YCT with a special focus on the issue of women's ordination. A significant portion of the article was devoted to attacking me personally. In response, I...

From the Jerusalem Post:Regarding the ordination of female rabbis, Lamm said his opposition was "social, not religious.""Change has to come to religion when feasible, but it should not be rushed. Women have just come into their own from an educational perspective. I...

Another approach to the question of why the Torah established the seventh day of Pesah as a full-fledged holiday is expressed in many traditional sources and is widely known; namely, the seventh day is, according to the Midrashim, the day on which Hashem split the Sea...

There has been much recent discussion, in the J-Blogosphere and elsewhere, of the rare and fascinating Birkat Hachamma or "Blessing of the Sun" that will be performed Wednesday morning. The very fact that this blessing is recited only once in a generation - just a...

(This is cross-posted on my Ask the Rabbi blog.)I was recently asked to respond to the question of whether a woman who is knowledgeable in Torah Law may issue rulings on matters of halakha. My answer, in brief, is contained in this post; I apologize in advance for my...

On the heels of Hakham Ovadiah Yosef's recent espousal ofliberal views regarding women and Megillah - novel to some but not intrinsically newsworthy since he has been quite candid about his position on these issues for many, many years already - comes an article on...

I realize that this topic is not especially relevant to the theme of this blog, but....I must confess that ever since Chief Justice John Roberts and President Obama erred in their respective recitations of the Presidential Oath of Office on Tuesday, I have been...

I am proud to announce that my Blog on the works of the Rambam, Resheet Daat, has been updated several times in recent weeks, with more to come...I encourage you to explore the site, but keep in mind that the posts in the Introduction to Rambam series are meant to be...

A couple of months ago I held a series of classes during which the meaning and structure of the morning service (Shaharit) was explored. To help participants follow the discussion, I provided the following explanatory outline of the tefillah. It is still a...

The in-depth study of the Rambam's Introduction to Mishneh Torah continues....The Organization of the Mishneh TorahThe Concept of Rabbinic "Mitsvot"

As I prepare to post some new material on this week's parasha, I thought it fitting to present some older pieces that address themes in the recent Parashiyot Hashavua:Halakhic Debate - Unity in DiversityWhat Message Did Yosef Send His Father?Spinoza on the...

In honor of the theme of Hanukkah, I am making yet another attempt to make blogging a part of my repertoire of regularly scheduled activities...Bear with me!!! I have already begun posting answers to some questions on my Ask The Rabbi Blog, and I am currently in the...

My apologies....this post is severely truncated and not well written, I will try to expand on these ideas after the holiday but I am currently out of time....I just wanted to present at least a basic formulation for the benefit of those who may want something to...

Understanding Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as Divinely mandated "Days of Judgment" poses some serious theological difficulties. First and foremost, why can't the Creator determine an individual's fate moment-by-moment, based upon that person's merits or level of...

This week, the highly esteemed and beloved Hazzan Emeritus of Magen David Sephardic Congregation, Mr. David Rebibo, passed away at the age of 95. His funeral was held on Wednesday at noon. I cannot claim that the eulogy I delivered was a sufficient tribute to his...

As reported in the current edition of the Washington Jewish Week, I was invited to deliver an invocation in support of Senator John McCain at a Jewish fundraiser for his presidential campaign last Sunday.The full text of the invocation I composed and delivered can be...

I recently received an article by Cathryn Michon entitled "Beyond the Palin"as an email forward. Apparently, the piece has been circulated widely on the Internet, and held up as a very persuasive critique of the McCain-Palin ticket.As a registered independent with a...

Unfortunately, on the heels of my promises to continue blogging, I experienced major computer-related difficulties and literally had no computer access for several weeks. This directly interfered with my plan to commence the new series of posts I had outlined...

I know that several members of the readership are anxious for me to embark upon the project I detailed in my previous post.While I am fully prepared to begin writing on the themes I promised to address, my schedule and the exigencies of life over the past two weeks...

Blogging has been a bit slow lately due to time constraints, so for the benefit of those members of the readership anxious to know what the future holds, I thought it might be a good idea to create a brief post detailing the topics I intend to touch upon over the next...

Much of the recent discussion in the comment threads has revolved around the nature of the Genesis narratives and their purpose. In this admittedly off-the-cuff post, I would like to clarify my own take on this crucial issue.The instructional objective of the Torah is...

This week a bout with illness, in addition to a hectic schedule, left me with little time to engage in blogging. Nevertheless, the comment threads have been centers of lively discussion that I look forward to diving into as of Saturday night or Sunday...

I am proud to announce that I have finally posted the fourth installment of the "Introduction to Rambam's Mishneh Torah" series that began last summer. I thank all members of the readership who encouraged me to continue.You are all welcome to check out the latest post...

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to the first half of a debate on God's existence between the Conservative Rabbi David Wolpe and outspoken author Sam Harris. I will not discuss the specifics of their arguments in this post, although I reserve the right to do...

...At Resheet Daat.Moadim Lesimha to all!

Biblical critics and adherents of the Documentary Hypothesis (especially outspoken ones in the Blogosphere) often argue along these lines:It is true that believers can offer convincing responses to some of the problems raised by Biblical Criticism. Use of literary and...

...Has just been posted on Resheet Daat. Enjoy, and please leave feedback, comments, criticism, etc.!

Please take a moment to read the first installment of a new mini-series of Pesah-themed posts at Resheet Daat, in which I lay out several difficulties with the first chapter of the Rambam's Laws of Hametz and Matzah.The difficulties identified there will serve as the...

A classic question that can be asked regarding the Haggada is as follows:The text relates that even outstanding scholars are obligated to retell the story of the Exodus on the first night of Passover. The Haggada then describes the famous "Bnei Beraq" Seder, in which...

Please feel free to download the newly updated version for 5768.

I have been planning to return to blogging for quite a while; in the meantime, a good seven months managed to slip through my fingers!At some point, the very fact that I had been out of the game for so long - the awkwardness of simply posting new material without...

It is high time for revisiting this important article from last year. Although probably the longest blog post I've ever published, I think it contains lots of food for thought for the holiday.This post and this post, both of which compare and contrast Pesah and...

Another installment in the series of studies in the Rambam's Mishneh Torah is now available on Resheet Daat, my recently resurrected blog.New posts on Vesom Secheland Ask The Rabbi should be appearing over the next couple of days - stay tuned.By the way, the posts on...

Drum roll please...after a year of waiting, my blog dedicated to the thought of Maimonides - Resheet Daat - has its first post!Thank you to all those who encouraged me to finally get going with that blog.

This is an essay on Teshuva (repentance) that I composed four years ago. Although it is on the lengthy side for a blog post, it is very timely. Since it is an old piece, I would especially appreciate your constructive feedback. There is a good chance it could use some...

This week's Parasha opens with the law of the Red Heifer and the process of ritual purification from contact with the dead. It is the perfect opportunity to revisit a worthwhile post from earlier this year.Stay tuned...I hope to complete a post defending the First...

Another outstanding literary analysis of Parashat Hashavua, courtesy of Rabbi Elchanan Samet.As he explains in the concluding section of the piece, his interpretation of the text corroborates the Rambam's understanding of Moshe's error at Merivah.You can read an...

Thanks for your support!!!

Remember, today is the last day to vote in the JIBs!Please take a few moments to vote for this blog for "Best Torah Blog 2007."Every single vote counts!!!

Two hours ago, Vesom Sechel was in the lead for Best Torah Blog in the Jewish-Israeli Blog Award (JIB) Finals, with over 170 votes.Moments ago, the number of votes to its credit was drastically reduced, leaving only 83. Vesom Sechel suddenly fell into a distant and...

It just came to my attention that this blog has been nominated for "Best Torah Blog" on theJIB Awards Site(Group C).I am honored to have been nominated, especially in view of the fact that my communal obligations have prevented me from posting on a regular basis for...

Back in September, I posted an extensive piece on the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and their important role in our High Holiday liturgy. However, I have two good reasons for assuming that very few people read the original article, namely:1) At that time, my blog was...

My son Netanel (as a spider) and I (as a Sultan) enjoying some Purim fun!

As part of its bimonthly "Ask the Rabbis" feature,Moment Magazineasked me to respond to the question "should Jewish children Trick-or-Treat?" An edited version of my answer appears in the October 2006 issue of Moment and can be foundhere. This is the original response...

Nowadays, many people question the value of studying the Bible in depth. Therefore, I thought it would be wise to open this blog with a few words on the authenticity of the Biblical tradition and its significance.Before I begin, let me comment on what I will not do. I...

For many years now, I have been a student and teacher of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible). My experiences blogging on my Ask The Rabbi site deepened my appreciation of the value an exchange of ideas in the blogosphere can offer. As such, I felt that a new blog would be the...