Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

It’s Corona day something; I don’t have a count. It just started and already seems like forever. I’m taking a morning walk into the Carmel park; it’s a glorious spring day before the next storm, before the next ‘don’t go … Continue reading →

The transition from Tractate Brachot to Shabbat is abrupt. To those who love a good legal debate, it’s a delight; those of us who enjoy midrash and dreams and stories, it’s more of a shock. What are our dear rabbis … Continue reading →

Purim, what a day! And the megillah, what a story! The only book in the Tanach where G-d’s name is not mentioned, or is it? There’s an idea that wherever in the Scroll of Esther it says, hamelech, The king, … Continue reading →

The last chapter in Tractate Brachot is a “dream”, because much of it is about dreams, and on that, next week. The rest is dedicated to a catch-all of anything around blessings we didn’t get to until now, like what … Continue reading →

  The Torah tells us to honor parents and my extension, big brothers and teachers. This is one of the top five, and yet it has its boundaries. The question often comes up, what to do in situations of abuse: … Continue reading →

It’s Shabbat lunch and we’re sitting around the table after the “meal”, talking and “schmoozing”, when the host brings in a tray of nuts and dried fruits and some chocolate dessert. Should we say a special blessing? Should we say … Continue reading →

I thought of starting like this: “since we are in Tractate Brachot, it may be no wonder that we’re now discussing food and its blessings”. Then I remembered that there are so many discussions about food in every tractate, each … Continue reading →

Among the many discussions about prayer kinds, times, regularity and more, we’re escorted in to the beit midrash of old, and introduced to various interactions and exchanges among the sages. Between pages 27:b and 28:a, we come across a fascinating … Continue reading →

When should one pray? How long? How often? Repeat? Join a minyan, or go at it alone? Among many, Rabbi El’azar brings us some specific rules. Then comes Rabbi Yochanan and it seems that his “rule” in itself, is a … Continue reading →