It is prohibited to derive pleasure from this world without reciting a berachah. Even a Jew who is not observant is required to recite berachos over food. In fact, there are a number of anecdotes about the Vilna Gaon in which he encountered heretics and warned them that they would be held accountable for every... Read more »
My Jerusalem Prayer is a new service that enables people from all over the globe to send their personal prayer note to the Kotel. Notes can be typed or they can be handwritten, scanned and emailed. You will receive a photograph and/or video of your personal prayer being inserted into
Of the 613 mitzvah-commandments in Judaism, Tzedaka-charity is unique in certain of its attributes, Jewish law, and other anomalies connected with it. This makes Tzedaka the most unusual of all the commandments. Three of the remarkable aspects of Tzedaka will be
Shabbos in general, and Shabbos meals in particular, are probably the most transformational experiences that one could offer to a non-affiliated Jew. While every ba’al teshuvah has a unique story and set of elements which influenced him/her, Shabbos almost always features as
Nonprofits are just as vulnerable to cyberattacks as any other organization. Perhaps even more vulnerable, given that cybersecurity seems too often to be a second thought for nonprofit leadership. In order to protect your donors, volunteers and ultimately, your cause, you need proper security practices. Here are a few places to start. “I’m not a... Read more »
There are several practical applications of the principle of lifnei iver to kiruv situations. May someone be invited for a Shabbos meal when he will inevitably drive there? May one make a shidduch for a couple who will not keep the laws of family purity? May one invite a co-ed group to a sleepaway weekend... Read more »
I had secured a meeting with a big potential donor. We were delayed for 45 minutes, so when I finally met him, I asked how long we had. “Just five minutes,” was his response. I decided to devote four and a half of those minutes to him. Looking around his office at the incredible
In the previous chapter, we cited the position of many poskim who stated that under extenuating circumstances, the status of tinokos shenishbu can be applied to contemporary non-observant Jews. The implication is that many of the lenient rulings that affect how we relate to non-observant Jews cannot be applied indiscriminately. Rather, to determine whether a... Read more »
This essay is reprinted from the book, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values” published by Urim, or the upcoming books, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to Man” or “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to G-d” to be published in the future. This essay is not intended as a source of practical halachic (legal) rulings. For... Read more »
This essay is reprinted from the book, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values” published by Urim, or the upcoming books, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to Man” or “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to G-d” to be published in the future. This essay is not intended as a source of practical halachic (legal) rulings. For... Read more »
