During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
Baltimore, MD - September 29, 2023 – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Chief Administrative Officer Faith Leach directed executive departments and agencies to increase employee in-person presence at city government offices beginning Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore City pivoted to a maximum telework posture to accommodate the immediate public health crisis. As Baltimore City adapts in this latest stage of the pandemic, the city is making additional updates to the hybrid work environment to encourage city employees to increase their time spent in physical office spaces. The update to the telework policy is designed to allow agencies to continue to use telework as a tool in talent recruitment, retention, and to accommodate building space limitati...
Aerial video of Arzei Habira, Maalot Dafna/Machal, and Ramat Eshkol on Erev Sukkos 5777.
Baltimore, MD – Sept. 29, 2023 – A new speed camera has been installed in the community on Greenspring Ave, near Shomrei Emunah, right outside the Flora Park Apartment Homes.
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
Baltimore, MD – Sept. 29, 2023 – 2:20PM - Due to a bus accident in front of Dugans Liquors, (1322 Reisterstown Road) both southbound lanes on Reisterstown Road are blocked, and northbound traffic is reduced to one lane.
New York City faces severe flash flooding due to remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia, submerging streets and subways, especially impacting Brooklyn, according to FOX Weather. Despite warnings and a State of Emergency declared across NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, residents encountered massive disruptions, with authorities urging people to stay indoors. Rainfall rates in some areas reached 2 inches per hour, overwhelming the city's drainage capacity. The heavy rainfall also hindered operations at LaGuardia Airport and prompted a travel advisory lasting until Saturday morning. Coastal areas along the Atlantic are also on alert for flooding conditions exacerbated by the full moon causing king tides.
A band of House conservatives on Friday voted down a GOP bill to avoid a government shutdown.
The vote marked a significant — and embarrassing — defeat for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as a shutdown this weekend appears increasingly inevitable.
Twenty-one Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the legislation, bringing the final tally to 198-232. The measure advanced in a party-line vote earlier on Friday.
The bill did not stand a chance in the Senate, where Democrats were sure to line up against it. And the White House Friday morning issued a veto threat for the bill.
The tally was largely expected after a handful of conservatives — more than McCarthy could afford to lose in his narrow majority — lined up against t...
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 29, 2023 - New gun control laws will take effect in Maryland on Oct. 1, as a response to a past U.S. Supreme Court ruling, despite facing challenges from gun rights groups, according to WBAL. The laws include restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in specified areas like schools or places selling alcohol, and changes to gun licensing procedures, such as raising the qualifying age to 21. Additionally, Jaelynn's Law will mandate better firearm storage to prevent minors' access. Moreover, Maryland's attorney general will now have independent authority to prosecute police-involved deaths, following a series of police reforms. Hospitals will also be required to include fentanyl testing in certain drug screenings, ensuring better diagnost...
Terrorists opened fire overnight from a moving vehicle at the town of Beit El north of Jerusalem; no one was hurt, and no damage was reported.
IDF soldiers who were operating in the area returned fire at the vehicle, and one of the terrorists was hit. After searching the area, forces located several bullet casings.
In addition, IDF soldiers arrested a wanted suspect in the town of el-Bireh near Ramallah. During the activity, suspects threw rocks and launched a firework at the soldiers, who responded using riot dispersal equipment.
The wanted suspect was transferred for further handling by the security forces. No Israeli forces were harmed.
The Internal Revenue Service had expected to remain open for business despite a government shutdown but has now released a contingency plan showing that up to two-thirds of its 90,000 employees will be furloughed if the government halt starts Sunday.
The IRS had hoped to remain open and funded by the $80 billion boost through the Inflation Reduction Act, but has received late guidance from the Office of Management and Budget this week that it could not cover its workers' salaries during the shutdown President Joe Biden's legislation, reports The Washington Post.
According to OMB, the legislation money can't be used to substitute for the IRS's regular budget, which is used to pay most employees' salaries. This means the backlogs will also return at the IR...
In 1995 and 1996, the federal government shut down as House Republicans and the Clinton administration clashed over spending cuts. In 2013, the government shut down because of a partisan disagreement over President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. In 2018, Democrats bucked President Donald Trump’s demands to fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall, leading to the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
And now?
“We are truly heading for the first-ever shutdown about nothing,” said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank. Strain has started referring to the current GOP House-led impasse as “the ‘Seinfeld’ shutdown,” a reference to the popular sitcom widely known&...
The National Unity party has significantly weakened, losing three seats in one week, according to a new poll conducted by the "Lazar Studies" institute, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, and published by the Maariv newspaper today (Friday).
According to the poll, the National Unity and Likud parties are tied at 28 seats each, the first time they have been tied in these polls since May 24.
However, the center-left bloc has not weakened much, as the National Unity party's decline is offset by an increase in support for the Yesh Atid and Meretz parties. As a result, the coalition has strengthened by only one Knesset seat. According to the poll, if elections were held today, the current coalition would win 54 seats, while the opposition parties would win a combined 66 seats, a f...
A number of pro-Palestinian Arab groups have called on the US Department of Homeland Security and State Department to suspend Israel's entry into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), until pending litigation alleging the program unlawfully discriminates against US citizens of Palestinian Arab origin is resolved.
The groups which made the call include Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Both these groups are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, that seeks an injunction against the US government's admission of Israel to the VWP.
"The US should halt implementation of the visa waiver for Israel at least until a judge reviews what we believe to be the government's arbitrary and capricious...
This coming Tuesday, 18 Tishrei, is the 18th yahrtzeit of HaRav Naftali Neuberger, zt"l, of Ner Yisroel.
This shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Naftali ben Meir Halevi.
I heard the following from Rav Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim of Mesivta Kesser Torah last year:
The four species we traditionally take and shake on Sukkos carry numerous different symbolisms. If you ask your typical student, perhaps the most well-known is the midrash (Tanchuma Emor 19) comparing each item to a part of the body. The one lulav is compared to the spine. The one esrog resembles our heart. We take two aravos whose leaves are shaped like lips – of which, of course, we have two. The leaves of the hadas resemble the eyes. Why, then, do we take three, rather than two?
Another oddity...
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 29, 2023 - A 23-year-old off-duty Howard County Sheriff's deputy, Ryan Demby, was fatally shot following a bar altercation in Federal Hill on Thursday night, according to WMAR2News. The incident, which started as a verbal dispute among bar patrons, escalated when shots were fired around midnight. The exact involvement of Demby in the dispute is unclear, and there's no information on any suspect(s). The Howard County Sheriff's Office expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss.
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 29, 2023 - The Baltimore County Police Department is hosting another pop-up event on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, to provide steering wheel locks to Baltimore County residents who own a Hyundai with a standard "turn-key-to-start" ignition (2011-2022 models). The event will be held at BCoPD Precinct 4-Pikesville, 215 Milford Mill Rd., 21208. Steering wheel locks will be distributed from 8 a.m. until supplies last.
Residents can go to the Hyundai or Kia webpage and enter their vehicle's VIN to see if their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade.
The Ministry of Religion caused an uproar after it announced that it would distribute candy bags to children in synagogues on Simchat Torah in order to "bring the children of Israel closer and connect them to tradition."
Haaretz TV critic Rogel Alpher wrote that it was a bribe to children.
"The Israeli government has launched a new initiative in honor of Simchat Torah. It bribes children to come to the synagogue. The bribe is a bag of sweets. The Ministry of Religious Services will distribute candy bags to 250,000 children at celebrations in synagogues on Simchat Torah, which cost 650,000 shekels."
Akiva Novick criticized the initiative: "These are exactly the things that cause the common man to dislike the conduct of the haredi parties. Do you want to hand out candy? Go to the gro...
