Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, one of the great ethical thinkers of 19th-century Judaism, once visited a matzah bakery to certify it as kosher for Pesach. He examined the ingredients and the ovens, but spent even more time observing the working conditions of the laborers. In the end, he refused to grant certification. The matzah was technically…

On the Seder table we have three Matzot, the middle matzah of the three is broken in two, and the larger portion, the Afikoman, is hidden away to be retrieved only at the end of the meal, often through a search led by children. This simple gesture carries multiple layers of meaning. One traditional explanation…

Wagner, the Torah, and the Irresistible Urge to Conquer Poland These days I am taking part, as a guest of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, in an ambitious multi-year interpretive project to which I was kindly invited by Maestro Gianluca Capuano and Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, an ensemble I am honored to be part of.…

In these difficult hours, it is clear to many that if this new conflict were to contribute not only to reducing the danger facing the Jewish State but also to opening a window of freedom for the Iranian people, who have lived under an oppressive regime for decades, it would be hard not to recognize…

There’s something deeply puzzling about parshat Yitro. We’re about to witness the most extraordinary moment in Jewish history, the revelation at Mount Sinai, the giving of the Torah, the defining event of our people’s relationship with God. And yet the Rabbis choose to open the portion of the Torah not with chapter 19, which narrates…

The Parasha of Devarim, which gives its name to the fifth Book of the Torah, is always read on the Shabbat preceding the 9th of Av, the date that marks the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. These tragedies are echoed in the choice of Haftarot (prophetic readings) during the surrounding weeks: those before the…

Reconstructing historical moments through liturgy and action is a strength of Judaism. Our year is filled with holidays and commemorations that transport us into the past and invite us to immerse ourselves once again in the millennia-old story of our people, reliving key moments in our history. Reconstructing historical moments through liturgy and action is…

(Adapted from Schiudi le mie labbra – Le vie della preghiera ebraica, La Giuntina, 2018) You can listen to Baruch SheAmar sung by Rabbi Haim Cipriani in both the Italian and Sephardic traditions at the link below: The blessing Baruch SheAmar (“Blessed is the One who spoke”) serves as the solemn introduction to Pesukei Dezimra,…

Tefillin, the leather boxes containing Torah passages, are more than a ritual object, they are a bridge between thought and action, intellect and deed. Worn on the arm and the head, they symbolize the connection between mind, heart, and body, forming a continuous spiritual circuit. The head Tefillin, תפילין של ראש, is placed above the…

A somewhat lengthy study, but not at all complicated (in its formulation), touching upon an essential theme of our identity: the pursuit of holiness. Those courageous enough to read through to the end will, I am sure, find much satisfaction. “The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of…