Mendy Hecht

The Talmud tells us that there are 613 commandments in the Torah; 248 Positive Commandments (do's) and 365 Negative Commandments (do not's). Here's a complete list --as compiled by Maimonides.

How does one become a prophet? What is it like to experience prophecy? Does prophecy exist today?

Pennsylvania's Poconos communities occupy one of the fastest growing locales in the United States. The three-year-old Chabad center there has helped fuel the growth of the Jewish community.

Kabbalah, psychology, and the real issue behind "gun control vs. people control"

A. Because driving, biking, blading, skateboarding or other device-driven means of transportation are prohibited on Shabbat, we walk rather than commute to synagogue. However, even walking on Shabbat has its limits. B. Negative Mitzvah #321 sets the...

A. The pure, simple, unadorned word “Challah” means “a loaf of bread.” However, in Halachic terms, the word Challah has a very specific definition, and colloquially, it came to mean a certain type of bread thousands of years later. B. The Halachic...

1. Knead your dough 2. Measure your Challah The Mitzvah of hafrashat Challah (separating Challah) divides raw dough into three categories: Small, Medium and Large. A small amount of dough (less than 2 lb. 11 oz. of flour) does not require the Mitzvah. A...

I was at my father's side in the empty prep room. The room was silent; just the two of us. Suddenly - this could only happen in Israel - someone swung open the door and jabbed his head in. "I'm looking for my friend..."

Today, Jewish soldiers shatter Jewish hearts (both others' and their own) while Arabs dance in a CNN Special Report from the Gaza Strip

A. “Kiddush” (pronounced KID-ish) means “designation”—physically or verbally designating or demarcating a person, place, thing or time for a higher purpose. B. I’ll give ya a f’rinstance: f’rinstance, Positive Mitzvah #155 is to clearly delineate Shabbat...