Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

  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 →

Prayer and song continue to be among the things on this week’s Talmud reading as well as a good story (Brachot 10:a). We’ll start with this: אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי. מַאי דִּכְתִיב, ״פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה וְתוֹרַת … Continue reading →

Jerusalem, Sunday, Jan 5, 2020 – 8th of Tevet, 5780 – the end of the 13th cycle of daf yomi and immediate beginning of the 14th one, to end on June 7th, 2027. The Jewish world is celebrating, and it … Continue reading →

After Judah’s speech, when Joseph finally reveals himself, he invites the brothers to come and live with him in plentiful Egypt. Egypt is the center of the world back then and Joseph is highly esteemed there, second only to the … Continue reading →

When she was 10 years old, R. accompanied her mom to a doctor’s visit because her little brother, M was not well. Mom was hesitant to make the trip from Tzefat to Tiberias by herself, and what’s more, she needed … Continue reading →

Hanukkah starts this Sunday night with candle lighting, games and oily foods. There a discussion in the Talmud what happens if a hanukiya was lit and happens to get extinguished; does it need to be lit again? That is, is the … Continue reading →