Shmuel Kogan

You are correct in your observation that you will be limited as to what you will be able to do on your own on Yom Kippur. The Torah can only be read from a scroll when there are ten men...

Shmuel Question: I am a Jew who is just starting to learn observance. I am presently learning the mitzvah of tefillin. My rabbi has me saying a blessing on the head tefillin but I noticed in your Tefillin Section that there is no separate blessing mention...

When Pharaoh had his two dreams (Genesis ch. 41), he wasn't short of interpretations and meanings...

Never underestimate the potential of the individual Jew.

What is the function of a rabbi? What is his purpose and mission? What is he there to accomplish? I would imagine that if you would ask three different rabbis you would probably get three unique responses.

Shmuel A water chestnut is part of the root, or corm, of a grass-like sedge. The blessing that should be recited before eating it would therefore be "Borei pri ha'adama" as this is considered a vegetable. These should not be confused with the chestnuts th...

Excellent question. We began celebrating the holiday of Passover on the first anniversary of our freedom from Egypt. Actually, in practice we celebrated it even during the actual Exodus, as we were commanded by G‑d to eat the Passover lamb on the night pr...

To maintain a high level of spirituality and character amongst a society that is devoid of morals and ethics is the real test. This is why Jacob chose these two boys to be his own...

Shmuel Question: My pond fish died today and I was wondering whether there was an appropriate mourner's prayer to say for him. Answer: The loss of life is a sad event. Yet, there is a special sanctity to the human soul, and a specific pain when there is l...

I am in the process of selling my house and would like to recite pray to G‑d to expeditiously facilitate the process. I figure that Psalms are the way to go...