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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This is a BJL Exclusive:MUST Baltimore – Mothers Unite to Stall Technology
Dear fellow Baltimore parents,
A few months ago, we heard about an organization called MUST, which stands for Mothers Unite to Stall Technology. The organization was started by mothers in New York who realized how technology was affecting their children and decided to join together to postpone their children's personal ownership of smart devices. The program has since spread to communities throughout the co...
Towson, MD – May 26, 2022 - On Monday, May 30, trash, single stream recyclables and yard materials will not be collected in Baltimore County, and all drop-off centers will be closed. This holiday marks the first use of the County’s new “slide” schedule for make-up collection days. All trash, recycling and yard material curbside collections scheduled on or after Monday, May 30, will shift and occur one day later that week:
Monday collections shift to Tuesday
Tuesday collections shift to Wednesday
Wednesday collections shift to Thursday
Thursday collections shift to Friday
Friday collections shift to Saturday
For addresses on a twice-per-week trash schedule, the first trash collection during the holiday week will occur one da...
Shiva information and livestream to the funeral of Rabbi Pinchas Stolper zt"l Click here to see a replay of the funeral
Mrs. Elaine Stolper, the wife of Rabbi Stolper zt"l, has already begun sitting shiva. She will sit until Wednesday morning. She is sitting shiva through Sunday at her apartment at Park Plaza in Chicago, 6840 N. Sacramento Avenue, apartment 103. On Monday, she will move to sitting shiva with her daughter Michal at the home of Rabbi and Mrs. Zev and Michal Cohen, 2949 W. Coyle Ave., Chicago. Mrs. Michal Cohen, daughter of Rabbi Stolper zt"l, will begin sitting shiva in Israel following the kevura at Har Hamenuchos on Friday. She will continue on Sunday in Brooklyn at the home of her brother and sister-in-law, Rabbi and Mrs. Akiva and Channa Lee Stolper,&nb...
Shas MK Michael Malkieli slammed Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) for the series of economic changes which have a significant impact on the haredi community.
Speaking to 103 FM Radio, Maklieli said, "When Liberman talks about this, apparently he also realized that we are in an election period. For decades already, Liberman's method when it comes to elections is to incite and blame another sector. For years this was the Arabs, now it somehow became the haredim."
"When he talks about cuts, decrees, incitement towards the haredi community - Liberman's head is on the one on the street signs, on stickers, on the interviews with his friends during the election period - and this is what he does."
According to Malkieli, "We all know that what is behind these st...
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.
Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the ISIS terror group, has been arrested in Turkey.
According to Bloomberg, senior Turkish officials confirmed that al-Qurashi was captured in a recent raid in Istanbul.
Officials who requested to remain anonymous said the man they detained is the individual who they believe led ISIS since February. Turkey's OdaTV named the individual as al-Qurashi but did not source its information.
OdaTV added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was informed of the capture and is expected to announce it in the coming days.
Top Maryland lawmakers said Wednesday that eliminating a scheduled gas-tax increase of more than 6 cents this summer won’t solve the problem of high gas prices and would set back efforts to maintain infrastructure.
With gas now priced at about $4.60 a gallon on average in Maryland, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones said in a joint statement that “the problem is big oil companies exploiting global uncertainty to drive the price of gas to more than $4 a gallon.”
Eliminating the inflation adjustment “would be a loss of over $200 million in funding dedicated to ensuring the safety of our State’s roads and bridges,” said Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat, and Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat.
“As fuel prices rise, so too ...
Baltimore, MD - May 26, 2022 - Did you ever yell at the screen during a climactic part of a movie? Did you expect that the actors on the screen would listen to your concerns? Were you subsequently "shushed" by the entire audience? This week, in The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss the idea that what we - as humans - think, say, and do, actually influences and impacts the world around us. This is in great contrast to the fantasies of the "Western World."Click here to listen.Powered by: TYA of Baltimore
B'H I am excited to announce the launch of my forthcoming book with Mosaica Press. The book "Ready. Set. Grow" is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER, check it out here.
Baltimore, MD - May 25, 2022 - Two central committee candidates are out and about putting up signs for themselves and Delegate Dalya Attar. If you’d like a sign, text your name and address to 410- 258-2302
With profound sadness, NCSY joins the Jewish world in mourning the passing of Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, zt”l. Rabbi Stolper was a trailblazing pioneer in the education of Jewish teens who served as the first full-time national director of NCSY and as the longest serving executive vice president of the Orthodox Union. During more than forty years of working with Jewish youth, Rabbi Stolper built the NCSY movement from coast to coast. His work with NCSY directly impacted multitudes of Jewish households and played a defining role in Jewish life in the global Orthodox Jewish community for the past several decades. He created and developed modalities of experiential Jewish learning and living that have become the standard for inspiring commitment in Jewish students around the worl...
New York, NY- May 25, 2022 -From May 15th - May 17th, Prizmah Center for Jewish Days Schools held their virtual Mental Health Summit. The three-day conference for Jewish day school educators and staff had presentations from top experts in fields relevant to the social-emotional mental health of our Jewish day schools. Colleagues from across North America participated in an interactive online gathering where they engaged in high level learning, collaboration, and growth. Amongst the list of renowned presenters were Dr. Michael Kidorf, Ph.D and Erich Kaufmann, LCPC, two of Chayeinu Baltimore’s education experts. “Chayeinu is very proud to have presented at Prizma’s Mental Health Summit,” said Chayeinu’s director, Esti Ziffer. “By delivering 4 sessi...
Investigation by US-based cable news channel suggests that Israeli forces deliberately targeted reporter
US-based cable news channel CNN is conducting its own inquiry into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who died in Jenin on May 11.
Results, according to the broadcaster, suggest that the correspondent was deliberately targeted by Israeli forces who were operating in Jenin at the time and were deliberately targeting a group of journalists, which then resulted in Abu Akleh's death.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is saying that the allegation is entirely unfounded.
A senior Israeli security official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN that Israeli troops did not intentionally target Abu Akleh.
"In no way would the IDF ev...
Federal regulators Wednesday announced that Twitter will pay a $150 million fine to settle allegations that it deceptively used email address and phone numbers it had collected to target advertising, in one of the largest privacy settlements federal regulators have reached with a tech giant.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department said the company also will be banned from profiting off the “deceptively collected” data and be required to notify the more than 140 million users who were affected that it used their phone numbers and email addresses for advertising, according to a news release about the settlement. And the company will be required to implement and maintain a new privacy program that will require the company to review the security risks of new prod...
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk increased the amount of cash he is willing to commit to buying Twitter and said he was still looking for more outside investors to help him with the deal, according to a financial filing Wednesday.
Musk is now committed to paying $33.5 billion in cash for Twitter, up from the $27.3 billion he had previously committed to. That lowers the amount of debt he will have to take on from banks to get to the $44 billion he has agreed to pay for the social media company.
Twitter shares shot up 7% in aftermarket trading, suggesting Wall Street now believes the deal is more likely to happen, though the stock is still trading around $40, below the $54.20 a share Musk has agreed to pay.
Musk is working to assemble outside investors to help him finance the deal and has ...
Airline passengers can now use their Maryland-issued mobile driver's license or mobile identification card in Apple Wallet to verify their identity at airport security screening, the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday.
TSA PreCheck travelers can use their mobile license or IDs at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports. Only passengers with TSA PreCheck added to their boarding pass will be eligible now. TSA said it plans to roll out the program to other passengers soon.
The effort comes in collaboration with the state of Maryland and Apple. Maryland joins Arizona as the second state to offer this feature.
Starting Wednesday, travelers with Maryland state-issued driver's licenses or state IDs ...
The donation came as part of a $1 billion fundraising campaign initiated by the museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC received a generous donation from the Jewish philanthropist and author David M. Rubenstein, Israel Hayom reported.
He gave the museum a donation of $15 million to support, preserve, increase, and digitalize its immense collection of Holocaust documentation, according to the Israeli daily.
The donation came as part of a $1 billion fundraising campaign initiated by the museum, starting at its 25th anniversary in 2018 and running until its 30th anniversary next year.
“The lessons Holocaust history teaches about the fragility of freedom, the dangers of hate, and the consequences of inaction have never bee...
AAA is anticipating more than 730,000 Marylanders to travel over Memorial Day weekend, and the association wants you to be prepared.
More than 380,000 calls for help are expected nationwide this summer, AAA says, with over 7,000 here in Maryland alone.
Hot weather brings with it some automotive challenges, much like the winter months, so the organization is sharing some tips.
“People really need to prepare their cars for the summer,” said Edward Hickey, manager for AAA club fleet operations in Baltimore. “They need to make sure their battery is good, that they’re taking it in for the recommended services for cooling systems.”
And don’t forget about your tires.
“The pressure, the tread depth, so one thing you don’t want to do is run down ...