In the United States, schools and yeshivas benefit from the government’s largesse in numerous ways. When public officials pay official visits to our institutions, it is common to reciprocate by presenting them with some token of appreciation and gratitude, as a form of common courtesy. There have been instances in which communal leaders chose to present non-Jewish public … [Read more...]

Adapted from a Shiur by Rav Mordechai Lebhar What can’t you say when someone’s always listening?  Amazon's Echo and similar “smart speakers” are devices that provide information, take orders for goods, or activate any of an array of services in response to voice commands. They operate by constantly recording ambient sound and listening for a “wake word,” which for the Echo … [Read more...]

A major theme of the recent elections and nominations for Supreme Court Justices has been the assertions that the leading candidates are “not qualified” due to deficiencies in temperament and character. Back in 2016, a feud erupted between rivals for the Democratic Nomination - Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton - over each other's qualifications. The … [Read more...]

The Halachic method for identifying a real Etrog By Rav Mordechai Lebhar, Posek for the SHC, Rosh Kollel LINK Los Angeles, and author of Magen Avot If you haven’t done so yet, chances are that you are searching for a proper set of Arba Minim for the upcoming holiday of Sukkot. Surely, you seek out a beautiful Etrog with which to fulfill this precious Mitzvah. You look at … [Read more...]

By Rabbi Yitzchok Basser Repentance is a central theme of the Yamim Noraim, and an appropriate time to make amends. Here we will explore the obligations of an individual who shoplifted in younger years, and now would like to make things right. That he has to return the value of the item stolen is a given. The question is: Is it sufficient to anonymously return the value … [Read more...]