by Rabbi Sender Haber | May 22, 2015
We know that the Jewish people were never counted directly. Each Jew would give a half-shekel coin and that Half-shekel coin would be counted. This is the halacha until today. We do not count Jews. We can count hats and lists of names and possibly noses or fingers –...
by Rabbi Sender Haber | Apr 30, 2015
Moshe taught us the fifty one mitzvos found in this week’s parsha. He began with the commandment: “Kedoshim Tihiyu’ – You must be holy. We are all familiar with holiness. Hopefully, we’ve been in contact with holy individuals, experienced holy times and visited holy...
by Rabbi Sender Haber | Apr 30, 2015
Moshe gathered all of the Jewish people together in a gathering called Hakhel. He taught us the fifty mitzvos found in this week’s parsha but introduced them with the commandment: “Kedoshim Tihiyu’ – You must be holy. The Ramban explains that Kedoshim Tehiyu is a...
by Rabbi Sender Haber | Apr 19, 2015
At the very end of my second Seder, my wife rose to count Sefirah and took a moment to explain how we are counting our way to Shavuos and growing each day of the forty nine days ahead of us. Everyone at the table counted, but one woman was puzzled. “I enjoyed this...
by Rabbi Sender Haber | Mar 29, 2015
Introduction Do we need to read the Hagada and tell the story ourselves, or is ok if the head of the seder does it and we listen? There are two components here. One is the Mitzvah of והגדת לבנך that we have to tell the story to our children. The second is the Mitzvah...
