by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Oct 23, 2009
You buy some Tropicana Orange Juice with Omega 3’s added. Your mother always told you to drink OJ with your Salami, so you pour a tall glass to go with your deli sandwich. As you’re pouring, the “OK fish” designation catches your eye. What are the implications? You’re...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Oct 9, 2009
Many shuls have a Simchas Torah auction. In this auction the honors of the day, the aliyos, hakafos, Mussaf and so on are sold to the highest bidder. Many synagogues take this a step further and sell the honors for the whole year such as the ‘honor’ of being allowed...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Oct 7, 2009
Overview The seventh day of Sukkos is known as Hoshana Rabbah, the day of many Hoshanos (or Hosanna’s). We will attempt to shed some light on the practices of the day. The origins of Hoshana Rabbah are in the Mishnah (Sukkah 4:5) which informs us that the custom was...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Sep 17, 2009
There is a Biblical prohibition against ‘Nachash’ or incantations. This generally refers to using various signs to interpret what the future holds. The examples given by the Gemara include one who says that since my bread fell out of my mouth or my walking stick fell...
by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber | Sep 8, 2009
Which Day to Start The Shulchon Aruch (581:1) writes that beginning Rosh Chodesh Elul, through Yom Kippur, we awaken early in the morning in order to increase supplications. Thankfully, the Rema intercedes and says: this is not the minhag of Ashkenazi Jews. Rather we...
