Dear Friends, I’m sure you are well aware of the recent Israeli elections, the fifth in the past four years! Without going into politics or discussing the craziness of so…

Dear Friends, I pen these words from Jerusalem on the eve of Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the month of Cheshvan, with great excitement. This is because I hope…

Dear Rabbi, I feel I’ve gained more from this High Holiday season than previous years, probably because I’ve been taking classes this year and have learned a lot about the…

Dear Rabbi Fried, I’ve often been bothered by something I have noticed on Simchas Torah in synagogue, that people who are not dancing are sitting. I know that when a…

Dear Rabbi Fried, Could you please explain what is accomplished by sitting and eating in a sukkah? We understand it is a mitzvah to do so and the kids love…

Dear Rabbi Fried, I have fasted on Yom Kippur as long as I can remember and am nostalgic about the bagels and smoked fish break-fasts with my late parents, aunts…

The Torah says, “For this mitzvah which I command you today — it is not hidden from you, and it is not distant. It is not in heaven for you…

By Rabbi Yerachmiel D. Fried Dear Rabbi, At this time of the year I am always troubled by the fact that all Jews “know” there is a mitzvah to hear…

Dear Rabbi, Recently I’ve seen a lot written about happiness. Happiness is a very difficult concept to quantify, and historians debate whether or not we, with all our creature comforts,…

Rabbi Fried, I was invited to a bris at an orthodox synagogue this past week and they blew the shofar at the end of services. When I asked someone why…