TMC Torah Blog

Question: What is the background on spending money on the menorah? Isn't the mitzvah about the candle and oil? If I purchase a menorah, is it better to buy silver than another material? Answer: This is no small question as the Mishna Berura (671:1)…

Question: What's the truth about Mayim Achronim? I've noticed that some people only put a few drops of water on their fingers, but what amount is needed? Is it necessary to perform Mayin Achronim after eating a meal during the week? Answer: There a…

Question: Are Jewish magazines considered Shaimos? Should I dispose of them respectfully since they contain Torah articles? Answer: The Gemara in Makkos (22a) teaches, based on the verse in Parshas Re'eh (12:4), that it is forbidden to erase or des…

The Gemara in Shabbos (117b) teaches that eating three meals on Shabbos is an obligation. In Shabbos (118a), the Gemara further states that as a reward, one who fulfills this mitzvah will be saved from three significant calamities: 1) the suffering …

Sarah dies at age 127 and is buried in the Machpelah Cave in Chevron, purchased by Avraham for four hundred shekels of silver. Avraham sends his servant Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak. At a well, Eliezer prays for a sign: the woman who offers w…

Cheshvan Yahrtzeits Include: 1. Bluzhever Rebbe/Reb Shmuel Kunda/Rav Shlomo Lorincz2. Rav Simcha Wasserman3. Rav Itzeleh Volozhiner/Rav Yisroel of Ruzhin/Rav Eliezer of Dzikov/Rav Ovadia Yosef4. Piaseczner Rebbe5. Maayanah shel Torah/Rav Avrohom Er…

The Question: I see many shuls have a minyan for Maariv right after Mincha, but isn't that too early to daven since it's not the time when three stars come out? The Answer: Hi, thank you for your submission and feedback! To clarify, we need to de…

The Levush (669:1) explains this week's selected Haftorah’s connection to Parshas Lech Lecha in pasuk 41:2: “Who inspired [the one] from the East, who would proclaim His righteousness and at [every] footstep?" The verse concludes, "May h…

Rambam: Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations The Story of Idolatry and How Our Father Avraham Discovered Hashem Trans. by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, Moznaim Publishing Courtesy of: www.sefaria.org/texts   Chapter 1 Law 1 בִ…

Parshas Lech Lecha states, "And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations." It is remarkable to note that to this day, Abraham is considered the father of billions of peo…