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.
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Dear Friends, I hope this e-mail finds you well and that you are staying cool this summer. We are managing and busy. R' Dovid is stable, thank G-d, and enjoying his family. Our fundraiser has migrated to a new platform, The Chesed Fund. Though we did run a small campaign before Purim we did not reach our goal and as funds are dwindling, we have to continue our efforts. Expenses are constant and sometimes overwhelming. As you are the special people who have kept us going until now, we hope it is not too burdensome to ask if you could participate and help spread this urgent campaign via e-mail and social media (i.e. Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to your friends and other groups, community and synagogue bulletins with a personal note asking others to join the ca...
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As the Yamim Noraim are upon us, we are reminded of the oft-quoted dictum
ותשובה ותפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רֹע הגזירה
“Repentance, prayer and charity averts the severity of the decree”. At this time of year, it is customary to increase charitable giving.
The Agudah Scrip program, which Talmudical Academy of Baltimore participates in, is by far the easiest way to manage your charitable giving. It is safe, convenient, and approved by the Va’ad HaRabbonim as the recommended method of keeping a portion of your tzedakah dollars in Baltimore. Here’s how it works:
You purchase Agudah Scrip that can be given to anyone collecting tzedakah in lieu of cash or checks. If you purchase Scrip through TA, the school receives 20% of your ...
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Baltimore, MD - Sept. 14, 2018 - Kolainu Boys Choir was established January of 2009 with boys from all different mainstream Yeshivas. Kolainu's sole purpose is to provide Yeshiva students with an opportunity to gain self confidence, have fun, make new friends and enjoy their love for music.
Kolainu was designed for Yeshiva students as an extra curricular activity. There are no tryouts and every child is a star. The choir has one grand preformance annually for family and friends.
The choir is led by Elchonon Majeski. Elchonon has many years of experience conducting , composing and singing for large audiences.
Kolainu offers a once in a life time rewarding experience for your child. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about our program.
Kolainu Choir is...
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 18, 2018 - In an effort to make Baltimore City streets safer, some City Council members are proposing a speed limit bill.
Councilman Ryan Dorsey has two theories: lower speed limits will lead to slower drivers and slower drivers will lead to fewer crashes.
Legislation was introduced to the full City Council Monday. If passed, it would cap the legal speed limit to 25 mph on several main streets, such as Harford and York roads. Local roads would be capped at 20 mph and alleyways would cap at 15 mph.
Dorsey said there is a culture of permissiveness that is creating unsafe driving conditions.
"There was a recent report from AllState Insurance that said Baltimore has the worst drivers in the country. If we look at other reports, there's one from th...
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 18, 2018 - 11:06 PM - Chaverim of Baltimore advises all drivers to avoid using the right lane on Park Heights Ave from Clarks Lane until after passing Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion due to massive flooding.
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.
President Rivlin Pays A Shiva Call To The Fuld Family
&n...
Russian president Vladimir Putin has described the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria as “like a chain of tragic accidental circumstances”, in a measured statement that appeared to step back from earlier threats of direct retaliation against Israel made by his defence ministry.
“When people die, especially in such tragic circumstances, it’s always a disaster — for us all, for the country, for our close comrades,” Putin said in his first remarks on the incident.
The Russian president said that comparisons should not be drawn with the 2015 shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by Turkish aircraft, which prompted economic retaliation from Moscow and a freezing of diplomatic relations.
“As for your comparison with the well-known events, w...
North Dakota - The Republican Jewish Coalition launched a $1 million television and digital advertising campaign in North Dakota against its incumbent senator over her support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal..
The campaign targeting Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, was launched last week and will air throughout September in the Fargo and Minot markets.
Titled “Roots,” the ad says that Heitkamp abandoned her “North Dakota values” by “siding with liberals and her party to support the disastrous Iran deal.”
“Those are not our values, they are their values,” the ad continues, showing photos of Heitkamp and three key Democratic supporters of the agreement.
“Heidi Heitkamp voted for the Iran deal, putting party loyalty above American security a...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday declassified a trove of documents related to the early days of the FBI's Russia investigation, including a portion of a secret surveillance warrant application and former FBI Director James Comey's text messages.
Trump made the extraordinary move in response to calls from his allies in Congress who say they believe the Russia investigation was tainted by anti-Trump bias within the ranks of the FBI and Justice Department. It also came as Trump continued his efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's probe in the wake of the guilty plea of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and amid the ongoing grand jury investigation into a longtime associate, Roger Stone.
Trump's decision will result in the...
Washington - The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, escalating a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies and raising prices on consumer goods ranging from handbags to bicycle tires.
The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent starting Jan. 1.
President Donald Trump decided to begin taxing the imports — equal to nearly 40 percent of goods China sold the United States last year — after a public comment period. China has said it’s ready to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
The U.S. had already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.
Trump initiated the fight to punish Beijing for what he says are China’s predatory tactics to try to supplant U.S. tech...
London - Prime Minister Theresa May pledged on Monday to protect British Jewish identity and Israel’s right to defend itself, in an attack on opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn in the run-up to his Labour Party conference next weekend.
May told a United Jewish Israel Appeal dinner she was “sickened” by the idea that some Jews questioned whether Britain was a safe place to raise their children.
Labour has been angrily divided this year over pockets of anti-Semitism which Corbyn himself has acknowledged. Critics suggest he should step down for failing to tackle the issue.
A poll in Britain’s Jewish Chronicle earlier this month said that 40 percent of Jews would consider emigrating if Corbyn won power in a national election.
In August Britain’s former chief rabb...
Brooklyn, NY - A person of interest in today’s massive fire at the Kings Plaza Shopping Center that injured nearly two dozen people and destroyed over 100 cars has been apprehended and arrested by police.
A tweet by NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea announced that the investigation into today’s seven alarm blaze is continuing and was accompanied by a surveillance photo of a person of interest in the fire stamped with the word “apprehended” in red letters.
Police identified the suspect as 23 year old Avon Stephens from Brooklyn.
As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2xpVNwh), the seven alarm fire broke out at approximately 9 AM on two floors of the four story structure and burned for nearly three hours.
The photo released by the NYPD this evening w...
New York - A man who was mocked online after he was recorded shaving at his seat on a commuter train headed out of New York City said he was just trying to clean up after days spent in a homeless shelter.
Anthony Torres, 56, told The Associated Press that the people judging him on social media don’t know the struggle he’s been through in his life.
“My life is all screwed up. That’s the reason I was shaving on the train,” he said.
A fellow passenger on a Thursday evening New Jersey Transit train took video of Torres, sitting in his seat, steadily swiping away at his lathered face and tossing the shaving cream from the razor onto the floor. The video , posted on Twitter , had 2.4 million views by Monday afternoon. Another video showed a clean-shaven...
Wilmington, NC - Navigation apps like Waze are trying to help motorists avoid hurricane flooding. But can people really rely on their smartphones to steer themselves out of a disaster zone?
Amid heavy rain from Florence, some smartphone or in-car map directions in recent days have sent people in North Carolina onto flooded roads and others closed to traffic.
Google-owned Waze said Monday it’s worked with local governments and its own community of volunteer map editors to mark closures of more than 1,300 roads in North Carolina and hundreds more in South Carolina and Virginia.
But the North Carolina Department of Transportation warned in a tweet on Sunday night that Waze and other travel apps are unable to keep up with Florence-caused road closings.
“It is not safe now to tr...
Montgomery Village, MD - A driving lesson went off the deep end in Maryland when authorities say the car jumped a curb, crashed through a fence and landed in a swimming pool.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer tells The Washington Post the driver and passenger were uninjured Saturday, albeit soaking wet. He says the occupants were a man and a woman in their 50s or 60s, but it’s unclear who was behind the wheel when the drive turned into a dive.
He says one was teaching the other to drive that afternoon.
The car landed in the North Creek Community Center Pool, which was closed for the season.
Piringer says the man and woman were standing poolside, having extricated themselves, by the time rescuers arrived.
Further details weren’t immediately released....
New York - Coca-Cola Co is closely watching the fast-growing marijuana drinks market for a possible entry that would expand the world’s largest soft drink maker’s ambitions further away from sugary sodas.
Coca-Cola announced its interest in a statement on Monday, responding to a report from BNN Bloomberg that said it was in talks with Canada’s Aurora Cannabis Inc to develop drinks infused with cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.
Coke would join a rush by major alcohol makers and a cigarette company to test the cannabis market and find partners ahead of the Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational marijuana in Canada.
Coke and Aurora, in separate statements, each said they were interested in cannabidiol-infused beverages but would not comm...
New York - Amazon wants you to shop small.
The online retailer launched a new section of its site Monday called Amazon Storefronts, which only lists products sold by small- and medium-sized businesses in the U.S.
The company says smaller companies can get lost among its millions of goods and it wants a way for shoppers to find them more easily. Amazon says more than 1 million products from about 20,000 businesses were selected to be featured on the site, based on ratings from customers. Similar stores will be launched on Amazon’s sites in Germany and the United Kingdom.
The new site is also a way for Amazon to try to boost its image at a time when it’s facing scrutiny for its growing power, as well as continued criticism that it is taking business from small shops. Earlier t...
Washington - The Trump administration is cutting the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year to 30,000.
The announcement comes despite calls from global humanitarian groups that this year’s cap of 45,000 was too low.
The 30,000 ceiling announced Monday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the maximum the U.S. will admit during the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The actual number allowed could be lower. The U.S. welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees in the final year of the Obama administration.
The lower admittance numbers reflect the Trump administration’s opposition to accepting refugees and other immigrants into the U.S. That approach has already driven down refugee admissions to their lowest level in a decade.