Current E-geress Article
Two Words You Need To Know
By Rabbi Yisrael Rutman
There are two words that every Jew needs to know: L’chatchila and B’diavad. Though not as famous as Shalom Aleichim or Ben Gurion Airport, these two Hebrew words are nonetheless vital to an understanding of what Judaism is all about.
L’chatchila means in the first instance, and refers to the proper way a thing should be done, in particular a Torah commandment. B’diavad (or b’dieved as some pronounce it) means after the fact, the way a thing is done when circumstances beyond our control prevent us from doing it in the best possible way.*
Recent Posts
Meaning of E-geress
Egeress is a Hebrew word meaning letter or correspondence. Althought it may refer to any kind of letter, the word has been associated over the ages with some of the most important Jewish legal, philosophical and ethical writings. Read More
Pesach Articles
Rashi says at the end of Parshas Shlach (bamidbar 15/41) that the eight strings that hang from each corner of the tzitzis are there to remind us of the eight days that we waited from leaving Egypt till we sang at the crossing of the Red Sea. This clearly contradicts a Rashi in Parshas Beshalach
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It All Started With The Goats : The Vilna Goan’s Explanation of Chad Gadya
Chad Gadya is one the most well known and loved songs sung at the end of the seder. It seems to read like a simple nursery rhyme (l’havdil) but it actually sums up the whole of Jewish history from its inception till the end of time. Let us look at it through the eyes of
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by Rabbi Yonason Goldson (First published April 7, 2000) Pope John Paul II made quite a splash last month with his visit to Israel and his sweeping confession of Christian injustices against the Jews. We should applaud the Pontiff for his gesture and reflect with enormous gratitude on how civilized the world has become since
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For The Shabbos Table
Ki Siso 
by Rabbi Yechezkel Fox
Unequal But Fair
By Oral Tradtion the Torah is divided into five Books, and these Books are split into weekly Parshas. Each Parsha is then split into seven sections. The use of chapters and verses, although used for convenience, is of gentile origin.
On Shabbat, the weekly Parsha is read and seven men are called up to read/hear a section each. These seven sections are usually of fairly equal proportions, so it is quite a surprise when we see in this week’s Parsha, that the first two sections out of a Parsha of 139 verses, take up 92 of those verses, approximately two thirds. continue reading
E-geress 2nd Article
What Is Judaism? Or Why Short Questions Do Not Always Have Short Answers 
by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman
The question is often asked, “What is Judaism?” It’s a short question, and those who ask it are often as not looking for a short answer. I made a short trip to Wikipedia for an answer. The online encyclopedia defines it as “the religion, philosophy, and way of life of the Jewish people.” This kind of answer will not succeed in dispelling the confusion about what Judaism is.
E-geress 3rd Article
Two Hundred Million Tweets A Day Can’t Be Wrong Once upon a time, sociologists wondered how people would cope over time with the anonymity and uprootedness of urban life. Today, we have an answer: Social networking. Twitter, Facebook and the others have enabled millions to make connections and to some extent overcome loneliness.
Who Said It ?
Who Said… 
“I’ll have to ask my wife first.”
Click here for the answer and many more Who Said It?s
