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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Baltimore, MD - June 25, 2022 - O'Fishel's Mitzvah Motivators: What Have YOU Done for Klal Yisrael Today - Masmidim Calendar with Instructions on How to Obtain Your Prizes..Click on the form below for a larger, printable copy.
Today's prize - The hat not the kids (June 26, 2022):Bring the truncated completed form to the Liebes home (2601 Smith Ave.)on SUNDAY, JUNE 26 between 3:00-5:00pm or MONDAY (6/27) or TUESDAY(6/28), between 4:00-5:30 for a MITZVAH MOTIVATOR BASEBALLCAP with special escape hatch for ponytails and oversized peyos!
Baltimore, MD – July 3, 2022 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Rebecca Isaacson. a’h, mother of Yosef Isaacson.
The Levayah will take place today at 4:00PM at Liberty Park of Shaarei Zion Cemetery, 9800 Liberty Road, Randallstown, MD 21133
Shiva will be observed through the afternoon of Friday, July 8th at 3410 Taney Road, Baltimore, MD 21215The family respectfully requests no visitors between 12:00-2:00 for lunch and 6:00-7:30 for dinner as well as after 10:00 PMMinyanim:Shacharis - 7:00 am Mincha/Maariv - 8:20 pm Mincha Erev Shabbos 3PM
Times of Minyanim to follow
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach
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.
Baltimore County, MD - July 3, 2022 - Trash, single stream recyclables and yard materials will not be collected Monday, July 4. Collections scheduled on or after July 4 will shift and occur one day later: -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. Collections of all types may occur later than usual during the week following Independence Day. If a collection does not occur on the scheduled day during this period of time, materials should be left out until collection occurs. Trash and recycling drop-off centers will be closed Monday, July 4 and will reopen on Tuesday, July 5. For more information, residents should visit the Bureau of ...
Baltimore, MD - July 2, 2022 - With primary election fever in the air and with early voting poised to begin in one week, the Vaad HaRabbonim (Rabbinical Council) of Baltimore held a meeting this week to meet and interact with candidates from a couple of key races.
The forum, coordinated by Agudah Maryland, took place at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation and included Orthodox synagogue rabbis and a number of Jewish day school representatives.
With a host of candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s gubernatorial race, the top five candidates in most polls were invited to participate and present their vision for Maryland. Three of the five attended: Peter Franchot, Doug Gansler, and Tom Perez; while John King and Wes Moore did not.
As a result of the recent U.S...
Palestinians in the West Bank will be given special permission to visit family members in Israel
The military body regulating Palestinian movement in Israeli territory announced on Sunday that some restrictions would be eased during the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, better known by its acronym COGAT, said his office had approved the measures.
Eid al-Adha, which will be held this year from July 9 to 13, is one of the holiest holidays in the Muslim calendar and is traditionally accompanied by large family gatherings.
"We stress that the issuance of permits, both for residents of the Judea and Samaria region and for residents of the Gaza Strip, will be subject to security assessments," COGAT said, using the biblica...
Stock up on Forever stamps now, or forever hold your peace.
The United States Postal Service’s plan to raise stamp prices is taking effect on July 10. The price of a Forever stamp will rise from 58 cents to 60 cents.
A Forever stamp, as its name suggests, can be used to mail a letter regardless of when it was purchased. That means if you bought a book of Forever stamps 10 years ago, when the price was 45 cents each, you can still use them to mail letters now, even though prices have climbed.
The price hike, which raises the cost of First-Class Mail by 6.5%, is still lower than high inflation rates, the Postal Service said. The cost of all goods is up 8.6% over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Both parshiyos Balak (read this week in Eretz Yisrael) and Chukas (read in chutz la’aretz) discuss relationships with non-Jews, and therefore are appropriate parshiyos to discuss the mitzvah of tevilas keilim.
Question: A Sweet Saga
Avraham Sweet, the proprietor of Candy Andy, wants to know.
"I have a gift business in which I sell glass candy bowls filled with candies, fruits, and nuts. Must I toivel these dishes before I fill them?"
Introduction:
In Parshas Matos, the Torah teaches: Regarding the gold and the silver; the copper, the iron, the tin and the lead: any item that was used in fire needs to be placed in fire to become kosher, yet it must also be purified in mikveh water. In addition, that which was not used in fire must pass through water" (Bamidbar 31:22-23). Fr...
'We are now seeing a recurring rise in infection and serious cases… I call on the public to act responsibly'
Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid held a Sunday meeting in his office in Jerusalem to discuss dealing with the newest Covid wave.
“Maintaining the level of readiness is critical – we are staying on top of it,” Lapid said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“We are approaching the peak of the global tourist season at all airports, including in Israel. This will have an impact on the speed of infection,” he continued. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the health minister for making [the surveillance of the disease] a sophisticated system.”
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz...
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that it’s possible the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol will make a criminal referral against former President Trump.
During the interview on ABC’s “This Week,” the network’s chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, asked Cheney — who serves as the vice chairwoman of the committee — whether the panel’s hearings have demonstrated that Trump should be prosecuted.
“Ultimately, the Justice Department will decide that,” Cheney responded. “I think we may well as a committee have a view on that. And if you just think about it from the perspective of, what kind of man knows that a m...
Infectious disease experts and public health advocates are warning that the Biden administration has been too slow to respond to the monkeypox outbreak and that the U.S. is at risk of losing control of the disease.
The response to monkeypox is mirroring the worst parts of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, they say, with severely limited testing and a sluggish rollout of vaccines leading to a virus that’s spreading undetected.
“Where we have lagged is streamlining testing, making vaccines available, streamlining access to the best therapeutics. All three areas have been bureaucratic and slow, and that means we haven’t contained this outbreak,” said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).
Unlike COVID-19, ...
The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations.
COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, but is not nearly as dangerous as it was last fall and winter.
“It’s going to be a good summer and we deserve this break,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.
With more Americans shielded from severe illness through vaccination and infection, COVID-19 has transformed — for now at least — into an unpleasant, inconvenient nuisance for many.
“It feels cautiously good right now,” said Dr. Dan Kaul, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Michigan Medical Center in An...
Global oil prices could reach a “stratospheric” $380 a barrel if US and European penalties prompt Russia to inflict retaliatory crude output cuts, JPMorgan Chase analysts warned.
The Group of Seven leading industrial nations are working out a complicated mechanism to cap the price fetched by Russian oil in an attempt to tighten the screws on President Vladimir Putin amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
But Moscow can afford to reduce daily crude production by 5 million barrels without excessively damaging the Russian economy, JPMorgan analysts including Natasha Kaneva wrote in a note to clients.
For much of the rest of the world, however, the results could be disastrous.
A 3 million barrel cut to daily supplies would push benchmark London crude prices that are ...
A gunman opened fire in a Copenhagen shopping mall, one of the largest of its kind in Scandinavia, killing an unspecified number of people and wounding several others on Sunday, police said.
The suspected gunman, who is in custody, is a 22-year-old Danish man who was detained near the Fields shopping mall on the southern outskirts of the capital, said police inspector Søren Thomassen, head of the Copenhagen police operations unit.
“We know that there are several dead” and “several injured,” Thomassen told a news conference, adding that terror can’t be ruled out. “We do not have information that others are involved. This is what we know now.”
He didn’t provide any further details on the victims or supsect, or say how many people were...
Baltimore, MD – July 3, 2022 – 3:25PM – On 695's outer loop between Reisterstown Road and 795 a car and camper have flipped over.The left shoulder and left lanes are currently blocked but 2 lanes of traffic are getting by on the right.
Baltimore, MD – July 3, 2022 – 1:30PM – An accident outside the Knish Shop has Reisterstown Road blocked headed northbound.