Rabbi Dr. Ari Z. Zivotofsky
Shabbat Candles: Halachot & Customs
The rabbinic mitzvah to mark the onset of Shabbat by lighting candles is an ancient and important halachah.
What’s the Truth about . . . Fasting on Yom Kippur?
Is it preferable to eat a little and then spend Yom Kippur day in shul davening rather than stay at home in bed fasting?
What’s the Truth about . . . Saying G-d’s Name in the Course of Torah Study?
Are we allowed to say G-d’s Name when teaching a berachah, reciting a verse or singing zemirot?
What’s the Truth about . . . a Dairy Meal on Shavuot?
Misconception: It is a time-honored custom to eat a milchig (dairy) meal on Shavuot.
What’s the Truth About . . . Tzadi?
Misconception: The eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (the one between pei and kuf) is called tzaddik.
What’s the truth about . . . Errors in Laining?
Misconception: If a ba'al korei (person publicly reading the Torah) makes an error that alters the meaning of the text and he has already read G-d’s name in that verse,…
What’s the Truth about . . . Milchemet Mitzvah?
Misconception: Due to the lack of a properly anointed king and the absence of the urim v’tumim, the defensive wars fought by the modern State of Israel, including the current…