All episodes
The Mitzvah of Emunah
Shayla of The Week #219- The Mitzvah of Hachnasas Orchim: Who Should We Invite and Who Is Considered a Halachic Guest?
Shayla of The Week #218: Serving as Sandek- The Minhag, The Mitzvah, The Majesty, and The Mystery
Shayla of The Week #217-Adam and Chavah, Noach and Naamah: Is It Permitted to Name a Child For Someone Who Lived Prior to Avraham Avinu? The Halachos and Hashkafos of Baby Naming
Shayla of The Week #216- Hoshanos and Hakafos: The History, Halachah, and Minhag of Circling the Bima on Sukkos
Shayla of The week # 215: The Unknown and Underlying Mitzvah of Chag HaSukkos: Singing and Dancing- What's The Simchah All About? A New Understanding of Each of The Mitzvos of Sukkos
Shayla of The Week # 214- Chumros During Aseres Yemei Teshuvah: Are There Other Stringencies To Be Kept Beyond Pas Yisroel?
Shayla of The Week #213: Twenty Halachos and Minhagim of Rosh HaShanah on Shabbos: Tekiyos, Tefillah, Tashlich, Tzidkasechah, and More
Shayla of The Week #212- HaMevarech Es Amo Yisrael B'Shalom VS Oseh HaShalom: What's The Correct Nusach for Shemoneh Esreh and Kadish During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah?
Letters of Teshuvah #5- Letters from The Mir: The Spiritual Vacation of Elul and The Yamim Noraim in Yeshivas Mir, Lithuania
Shayla of The Week #211- Striking the Right Note: The Power of a Nigun and the Danger of Chazanus- The Delicate Balance Between Choice Tunes and Overdoing The Melody's of the Yamim Noraim
Letters of Teshuvah #4-Rav Yitzchak Hutner’s Famed Letter to Rabbi Moshe Sherer: Rosh Hashanah and Akeidas Yitzchak- Beyond the Outcome
Shayla of The Week #210- Preparing the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Machzor in Elul: Required or Recommended?
Shayla of the Week #209- Four Critical Days in Elul and Four Minhagim When to Begin Reciting Selichos: Sephardim, Ashkenazim, and Two Little-Known Big Dates
Shayla of The Week #208- Zecher L'churban and Zecher L'mikdash: Similar or Different?
Shayls of The Week # 207- Reciting One Hundred Brachos Daily- Obligation or Opportunity?
Shayla of The Week # 206- Holocaust Kinnos: The History, Hashkafa, and Hesitation Regarding their Recitation on Tishah B'av- Should They Be Recited?
Shayla of The Week #205-The Mesorah, Mazel, and Menachem of Chodesh Av: What is The Month of Av All About?
Shayla of The Week #204-The Order That Arrives Incomplete: I Ordered Sixty Donuts and Forty Arrive- I Ordered Twenty Siddurim and Ten Arrive- Can the Order Be Cancelled?
Shayla of the Week #203: Chatzi Hallel on Rosh Chodesh: What Is The Source of Its Institution?
Shayla of The Week #202-It's Wedding Season: How does one fulfill the Mitzvah of Simchas Chassan and Kallah?
Shayla of The Week #201- The Famed Fast of the 20th of Sivan: The Historical Account and the Halachic Mandate- Why Is This Fast No Longer Observed?
Shayla of The Week #200- Mikvah for Men on Erev Yom Tov: Minhag, Mitzvah, or Misnomer?
Shayla of The Week #199- Visiting Your Rav or Rebbi on Yom Tov: Obligation or Opportunity?
Shayla of The Week #198- Layning The Klalos Quickly and in a Low Voice: Is This a Valid Minhag?
Shayla of The Week #197- Upsherin on Lag B'omer in Meron: The History and Significance of The Upsherin and a Three-Year-Old Birthday-What Is the Minhag About?
Shayla of The Week #196- Listening to Music During Sefira and Three Weeks-When Is It Permitted?
Shayla of The Week #195- The Confusion and Mistake Equating the Halachos of the Three Weeks With the Halachos of Sefirah- What are the "Actual" Halachos of the Sefirah Period?
Shayla of The Week #194- When the Rental House Wasn't Cleaned for Pesach: Who Is Responsible? The Pesach Airbnb Debacle in Orlando
The Important Battle Between the Numbers 4 and 5 at the Pesach Seder: Who Will Prevail?
Shayla of The Week #193-Ad Kaan Omrim B'shabbos Hagadol: The Debate Regarding The Minhag to Recite The Haggadah on Shabbos HaGadol
At The Seder With Rabbi Yitzchak Issac Chaver-The Peh Shlishi of the Vilna Gaon: Haggadah Yad Mitzrayim
Shayla of The Week # 192- The Famed Piyut of Rav Yosef Tuv Elem for Shabbos HaGadol- The Point of the Piyut and the Purpose of Piyutim
At The Seder With the Gra- The Pshat, Remez, Drash, and Sod of The Vilna Gaon's Haggadah
Shayla of The Week #191- "The Prohibition to Return to Egypt"- Is It Permitted to Pass Through, Tour, or Travel There? The Source, The Rule, The History and The Exceptions
Shayla of the Week #190: Megillas HaMelech, Megillas HaGra, and Ben Asher's Tikun: The Mesorah, Minhag, and Machlokes Regarding the Ksav of Megillas Esther: What Do The Sofrim Do?
Shayla of The Week #189- The Sanctity of our Shuls: Is It Permitted to hold a Kiddush, Simchah, or Shul function in a Beis HaKnesses?
Shayla of The Week #188-Taste Test: Coke VS. Pepsi and White Tuna VS. Dark Tuna: Hilchos Mekach Taus- Cancelled Sale or Reduced Price?
Shayla of The Week #187- The Tefillah of Kabbalas Shabbos: The History and Hashkafa- The Institution and Impact
Shayla of The Week #186- Mail Carriers, Sanitation Workers, Uber Drivers, and Waiters- Tipping in Halacha: Voluntary or Obligation?
Shayla of The Week #185- Severance Payment In Halachah: Requirements, Guidelines, or Recommendations?
Shayla of The Week # 184- Rage Room: Recreational Fun or Restricted Bar None?
Shayla of The Week #183- The Tefillah of Maariv- The Halachos and Minhagim of The Most Unique of Our Tefillos
Shayla of The Week #182- Between December 25th and January 1st: Giving Gifts, Holiday Parties, Taking Vacation, and 9:00 am Shachris- Muttar or Assur?
Shayla of The Week #181- "December 25th"- Can It Be Called Anything Else: What Do I say to my co-worker, neighbor, and mailman?
Shayla of The Week #180- The Mitzvah of Menorah for The Traveler, Camper, Soldier, and Homeless- Do They Light? Where? How?
Shayla of The Week #179- Chanukah Gelt and Chanukah Presents- Minhag or Mistake: What's it all about?
Shayla of The Week #178- Davening for Sinners to Repent and Praying for the Wicked to Die: Can we, Should we, Does it work?
Shayla of The Week # 177- Is Turkey Kosher: A Halachic Overview
Shayla of The Week # 176- The Wedding Day Fast of The Chassan and Kallah: The Minhag, The Meaning, and The Halachah
Shayla of The Week #175- The Shadchan: The Job, The Expectations, and The Payment- Halachos and Minhagim
Shayla of The Week #174- Standard and Daylight Savings Time: Mincha in The Fall and Winter VS. Minchah in The Spring and Summer- Everything You Need To Know about Davening Minchah Properly
Shayla of The Week #173- The Million Dollar Question: Kiddush before or after Netilas Yadayim- when and why did the Minhag Ashkenaz to Wash before Making Kiddush change?
Shayla of The Week #172- Shabbos Zemiros- Sources, Reasons, and Disagreement Regarding Their Recitation
Shayla of The Week #171: Crocks, Floafers, Flip- Flops, Slides, Slippers, and Sneakers: Can I Wear Comfortable Non- Leather Shoes on Yom Kippur?
Shayla of The Week #170- The Making of The Machzor: The Magnitude and Machlokes in the Additions to the Tefillos of the Yamim Noraim and Aseres Yemei Teshuvah
Letters of Teshuvah #3: Properly Preparing for the Yamim Noraim- The Letter Posted by Rabbi Simchah Zissel Ziv on the Door of Talmud Torah of Kelm in Elul in the 1860's
Shayla of The Week #169- "Dip The Apple in Honey"- What Is The Origin and Meaning of the Ancient Rosh Hashanah Minhag?
Letters of Teshuvah #2- The Letter of All Letters: The Iggeres HaTeshuvah of Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona circa 1200
The Making of the Siddur - The History, Development, and Halachos of the Siddur
Shayla of The Week #168- What Are We Preparing For in Elul- Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur? The Two Minhagim of Elul and the Two Ways To Prepare For The Yamim Noraim
Letters of Teshuvah #1: “Why Are You Asleep? " The Letter of the Chafetz Chaim, Erev Yom Kippur 1927
Shayla of The Week #167- What Is The Minhag of Tekiyas Shofar in Chodesh Elul All About?
Shayla of The Week #166- The Tefillah of Yom Kippur Katan for Chodesh Elul: Why Is This Yom Kippur Katan Different From All Others? The Halachic and Hashkafic Implications
Shayla of The Week #165- "Catch and Release": Summer Activities and Fishing For Fun-What's Permitted and What's Not?
Shayla of The Week #164- Chodesh Av and The Birth of Mashiach: The Real Mashiach VS. The False Messiah- Lessons Learned from Bar- Kochva, Yeshu HaNotzri, and The Messiah of Yemen
Shayla of The Week #163- Tishah B'av on Motzei Shabbos: What Are The Halachos That I Need to Know?
Shayla of The Week #162-Travel, Trips, and Vacations During The Three Weeks and Nine Days-Trains, Planes, and Boats, and More: What's The Halachah?
Shayla of The Week #161- Israel At War With Iran: What Should Civilians Be Doing When Klal Yisrael At War? The Pri-Megadim's Crucial Answer- Wake Up and Refocus!
Shayla of The Week #160- Jewish Music VS. Secular Music- Kosher Music VS. Treif Music: On The Power of Music in Halachah and Hashkafah
Shayla of The Week # 159- Predicting Mashiach's Arrival: Can We, Should We, Do We? The Controversial Opinions and Halachic Debates of Gedolei Yisrael Over The Millenia
Shayla of The Week #158- Making Coffee on Yom Tov: Is It Permitted to Use a Pour-Over Drip Cup and a French Press on Yom Tov?
Shayla of The Week #157- What Is The Secret Behind The Recurrence of The Number Seven in Sefer Vayikra? Revealing Sefira, Shemitah, Yovel, Pesach, Shavous, Sukkos, Shabbos, Tumah, Korbanos and Klalos
Shayla of The Week #156- The Controversy Regarding The Celebration of Lag B'omer in Meron- The Chassam Sofer and Shoel U'meishiv VS. Rav Shmuel Heller and the Rabbanim of Tzfas-What Are The Issues?
Shayla of The Week #155- Burial of an amputated limb: Mitzvah, Minhag, Requirement, or None of the Above?
Shayla of The Week #154- The Never Ending Shul, School, Car, and at Home Dispute- Whose decision is it if a window is opened or closed when there is a difference of opinion regarding the temperature?
Shayla of The Week #153- Anticipating the Days of Mashiach: Nissan, Iyar, and Beyond: When Will Mashiach Arrive and What Do We Know?
At The Seder With The House of Brisk: The Brisker Haggadah- A Majestic Evening
Shayla of The Week #152- Erev Pesach on Shabbos: Halachic Conflicts, Historical Debates, and Contemporary Solutions
At The Seder With The Netziv: A Tale of Two Sedarim- The Netziv's Haggadah Imrei Shefer
Shayla of The Week #151-Stealing the Afikoman: Minhag or Mistake?
Shayla of The Week #150- The "Baal Haggadah": The Endless Search for the Author of the Haggadah- Who is the elusive scribe?
At The Seder With The Malbim: The Fascinating Approach of The Malbim To Unravel The Maggid Section of the Haggadah
Shayla of The Week #149- Chumros Versus Chumros Of Pesach: Why Are There Many More Stringencies in Hilchos Pesach than any other area of Halachah?
Shayla of The Week #148- “Simchas Purim”- Drinking, Damaging, Masquerading and Merrymaking: Why Is the Joy of Purim Above and Beyond the Joy of Any Other Yom Tov?
Shayla of The Week #147- Fasting Three Fasts Before Bar or Bas Mitzvah: Minhag or Mistake?
Shayla of The Week #146- Erev Rosh Chodesh and the Tefillah of Yom Kippur Katan- What Is The The Origin, Reason, Significance, and Practical Application?
Shayla of The Week #145- Avid Inish Dina L'nafeshey and Taking the Law Into Your Own Hand: Is Vigilantism Permitted in Halachah?
Shayla of The Week #144- Tu B'Shvat and The Torah Mandate to Protect Trees: When May Fruit Trees Be Cut Down? The Rabbinic Response to Baal Tashchis
Shayla of The Week #143: Eyeglasses in Halachah and The Definition of Vision: May Glasses be Worn for Kriyas HaTorah, Havdalah, Kidush Levana, Bedikas Chametz, and Other Mitzvos?
Shayla of The Week #142- What Is the Truth About the Minhag For Women Not to do Work on Rosh Chodesh?
Shayla of The Week #141- Shabbos Mevarchim and Its Evolution: What Are The Halachos and Minhagim of Birchas HaChodesh?
Shayla of The Week #140- "Shovavim"- The Source, Significance, Meaning, and Minhagim of The Weeks Between Shemos and Mishpatim: What are these days all about?
Shayla of The Week #139- The Mysterious Fast of the Ninth of Teves: What Really Happened? The History, Halachah, and Hashkafah of The Darkest Days in Jewish History
Shayla of The Week #138- When History and Halachah Clash: The Story of Yehudis and Hilchos Chanukah- What's The Real Story and What's the Correct Halachah?
Shayla of The Week #137- Gambling During the Eight Days of Chanukah and The Eight Days Between December 25th and January 1st-Is Gambling Ever Permitted?
"Mai Chanukah?"- What Does Chanukah Celebrate: A Marvelous Miracle or Multiple Miracles?
Chanukah and The Parshios of Vayeishev, Miketz, and Vayigash: Being Dreamers and Living With Hope- The Source of Our Personal and National Salvation
Shayla Of The Week #136- Holiday Presents and Gifts: What Are the Halachos Regarding Giving and Receiving Non Kosher Wine?
"Mai Chanukah?"- The Most Misunderstood Moed: The Mystery and Mystique of Chanukah