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Psalms on Rosh haShana

Psalms on Rosh haShana

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Psalms on Rosh haShanaby: Eliezer Brodt What follows is a discourse, that is part of a forthcoming sefer, regarding the propriety of reciting Psalms on Rosh ha-Shana.  This discussion touches on the failure to recite hallel on Rosh ha-Shana which, in turn, leads the discussion to the status of simcha (happiness) on Rosh ha-Shana.  We then turn to the custom of reciting the entire Psalms(or, the converse, refraining from any Psalms). And, finally, I discuss generally the debate regarding reciting…

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Some Rosh ha-Shana Readings

Some Rosh ha-Shana Readings

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For those interested in posts relating to Rosh ha-Shana, aside from the most recent post regarding gifting knives, we discuss some of the history and personalities relating to the controversy of blowing the shofar when Rosh ha-Shana falls on Saturday here and see this recent article as well. This post (in Hebrew) discusses the custom of refraining from meat on Rosh ha-Shana. The bulk of the commonly recited piyutim on Rosh ha-Shana are attributed to R. Eliezer ha-Kallir who is…

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A Knife, Is it A Dangerous Gift for Rosh haShana?

A Knife, Is it A Dangerous Gift for Rosh haShana?

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A Knife, Is It A Dangerous Gift for Rosh Hashanah?By: Bency EichornI. R. Nachman of Breslov’s Position on Knife GivingAs Erev Rosh Hashanah approaches, let me remind you of a popular trend some people, prior to Rosh Hashana, buy knives for their households, or as presents for others. Why all this enthusiasm? Some will explain that buying a new knife for Rosh Hashana is a popular segulah for livelihood. This segulah is so powerful that many wives insist that their…

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Review: The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History, and Commentary

Review: The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History, and Commentary

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Book Review: The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History, and Commentary by Elli Fischer  Rabbi Elli Fischer is a freelance translator living in Modiin, Israel.  He maintains the “On the Contrary:Judasim with Comments Enabled ” blog.  This is his second contribution to the Seforim blog. Given the thousands of haggadot that have been published over the years, and the dozens of new ones published each year, it is not easy for any single haggadah to separate itself from the others on the market….

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Eliezer Brodt: The Chanukah Omission

Eliezer Brodt: The Chanukah Omission

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The Chanukah Omission by Eliezer Brodt Every Yom Tov we celebrate has different questions relating to it which become famous and are discussed from all different angles. Chanukah too has its share of famous questions. In this post I would like to deal with one such question which is famous but the answers are mostly not. The question is why is there no special Meshecta devoted to Chanukah as opposed to all other Yom Tovim [1]. Over the years many…

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The Name Machabee

The Name Machabee

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The Name Machabee Recently, a whole spate of books have been published, both in English and Hebrew, discussing names (see below for a partial list).  These works tend to focus on the alleged importance of one's name and offer insights into the source and meaning of names.  Although typically not discussed in these books is a well-known name, one that around this time of year deserves attention – the name Machabee (alternatively spelled Machabeus, Maccabaeus, Maccabeus, or substituting a "k" for…

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