Naftali Silberberg

Recently, renewing wedding vows is very much in vogue. The name seems to imply that eventually marriage becomes stale and musty -- which leaves the couple with two options: trash it, or "renew" it. What is the Jewish take on this new trend?

Night Prayers While The Sun Is Shining?!In the summer months, many synagogues elect to pray the Maariv (evening) prayer before nightfall. Similarly, these communities usher in the Shabbat on Friday afternoon well before the stars appear in the heaven. By ...

The Human TempleThe Temple contained two altars: the Copper Altar, situated in the Temple courtyard, and the Golden Altar, located in the Temple’s sanctuary, which was used for offering the daily incense. The Jewish body and soul is today’s Temple of ...

Why the big fuss? Torah prohibits many items at various times, but-- thankfully!--we are not obligated to embark on an all-out assault against every banned item.

An in-depth look at the laws and customs associated with the havdalah ceremony as well as other Saturday night traditions.

At the conclusion of every Sabbath, during the havdallah ceremony, we sniff at aromatic herbs or spices (whole cloves are very popular). When the spiritual Sabbath leaves and another mundane work-week arrives, it is necessary to resuscitate ourselves by ...

The simple explanation is -- it tastes good... There is no halachic reason for this; it is simply the age-old cuisine of European Jewry. Sephardic Jews, on the other hand, partake of other dishes. It is, however, considered part of Oneg Shabbat (pleasure ...

Why is Moshiach so integral to the Jewish belief system? It would certainly be nice to see an end to global suffering, but that is a universal ideal. Why is that a principle of the Jewish faith?

As Jewish citizens of this land, we always look to the Torah for a deeper perspective and additional insight. What light does the Torah shed on the wonderful trait of thankfulness?

Imagine the invading Greek army entering the Holy Temple where gold, silver and precious stones were everywhere to be found, and searching for the... oil!