Eliezer Zalmanov

Question: It seems to me that G‑d is not fair. Children don't get to chose where or to whom they will be born. Some are born in affluent societies to parents who love them and shower them with G‑d's truths, while others are born in very poor countries to ...

Question: I have heard that there is a special ceremony called a siyum that Jewish firstborns attend in the synagogue on the morning before Passover. Is this something that firstborn females attend as well, or is it just for men? I have been hearing confl...

Question: Must 100% pure honey be certified kosher for Passover? How about the rest of the year? Why? Answer: Although 100% pure honey does not require kosher certification during the year, I have seen that the Star-K recommends that only honey that is ce...

I recall learning about the story of Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, being sent to find a wife for his master’s son, Isaac. Recently, I was challenged by a friend to find how many times Eliezer’s name is mentioned in the Torah portion describing this story. T...

Question: I'm following the parsha, week by week. Last week, G‑d told Abraham he and Sarah would have a son. This week Sarah hears the news from a stranger and laughs. What's going on? Why didn't Abraham want to share the good news with her as soon as he ...

When donning the tallit for the first time after the wedding, it is naturally being done with the intention of wearing it every day from then on...

Question: From what I understand, fasting is for the purpose of self-affliction and repentance. Can a person hold his or her own personal fast, in addition to the mandatory public fast days? If yes, are there special repentance prayers one can say on such...

Question: Our house is heated by a wood burning stove. Our winters are cold. To keep warm, we must load the stove several times a day. It is very economical and ecologically sound. However, we are faced with a dilemma on Shabbat—feed the fire or be cold, ...

A list of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish faith, as penned by Maimonides, along with their biblical sources.

Question: Do Jews place candles on birthday cakes and blow them out? Response: Candles are nice. But some trace the custom of placing candles on a birthday cake to the ancient Greek practice of celebrating the birthday of one of the pagan gods, as reporte...