Back in 1985-6, I was a student in Lubavitcher Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. I studied there for middle-school. In November 1985 I began wearing Tefillin in preparation for my January 1986 Bar-Mitzvah. In that school once you began … Read the rest
...The Four Cups are a familiar and central Passover Seder observance (which college students need little prodding for). Here’s ten things to know about the Pesach Seder’s Four Cups, in no particular order.
(I see Chabad.org’s extensive Passover website has … Read the rest
...Here’s our top ten, and aside for #1, in no particular order:
(1) IT’S A MITZVAH, A BIBLICAL MITZVAH!
This mitzvah has a specific window, on the Seder nights, after dark before midnight. It’s a mitzvah we get to chew … Read the rest
I’ve seen it asked, why do we (still) recline at the Passover Seder?
Long ago rich folks reclined as they ate, it was a sign of luxury. The ancient Greeks and Romans reclined on couches. But today we all sit … Read the rest
...In the Passover Haggadah we recite, “All who are hungry let them come and eat, all who need come Pesach with us.” (The Rebbe asks why this invite is placed several steps into the Seder, when it should happen before … Read the rest
...About a week before Passover I was in the NYS Capitol for an annual celebration of the Rebbe’s birthday. On my way out through the Empire State Plaza Concourse there was an elaborate and extensive construction hands-on exhibit/experience, showcasing various … Read the rest
...The maple sugaring season (a big deal in this part of the country) comes in early Spring, when the days get warmer but there are still cold nights. It’s a narrow window and the sugaring season doesn’t last long. After … Read the rest
...One of the outcomes of this AI era is a healthy skepticism. Whether its artificially generated or deliberately misconstrued or totally made-up – it has become much harder to take information at face value. Most sane people now question and … Read the rest
...There’s no way around this. The first Passover Seder night falls on Wednesday April 1st this 2026 year, and while not a Jewish tradition, there are bound to be April Fools jokes and references.
The Talmud says that Rava would … Read the rest
...Ah, if only there was a way to Pass-over the Iran chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz! Pun-aside, and beyond the geopolitics and economics behind this current events story leading up to Passover 2026 – there’s a rich Chassidic Passover … Read the rest
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