Festivals & Jewish Calendar

HomeFestivals & Jewish Calendar
22 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Questioning Kaparot

Dear Rabbi Simon, Shana tova. I hope you had inspiring tefillah at Kesher on RH. You may have seen the clips that are going round about the use of chickens for kaparot in New York.  The way in which these chickens are treated is disturbing to me.  Even if the conditions of keeping the chickens would improve, I still think…

16 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meeting with Royalty

Note: On Rosh HaShanah we feel acutely the Kingship of Hashem. The Talmud teaches that one should seek out an opportunity to see earthly royalty, to gain a faint, symbolic echo of the Divine Kingship. There is even a blessing to be recited on seeing a monarch (king or queen), “Who has given of His glory to flesh and blood.”…

03 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

When Does Shabbat End?

Dear Rabbi Simon, I read in the Kesher Connections weekly newsletter that Shabbat Parashat Shofetim (21-22 August 2020) ends at 9.03pm. But there are at least two other times which some people follow as authoritative. There is a slightly earlier end time of 9.00pm, quoted in the Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish Weekly newspapers and used by the United Synagogue.…

18 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Wearing a Mask on Shabbat

Dear Rabbi Simon Can I wear a mask outside on Shabbos? Mendy Dear Mendy Thank you for your practical and contemporary question. If you are wearing a mask in accordance with widely-accepted public health recommendations, ie to inhibit the inhalation and spread of Coronavirus, there are grounds to allow doing so on Shabbos, even in the absence of an eruv.…

27 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Buying a Car During the Three Weeks

Hi Rabbi Simon, B”H I passed my driving test today and we are looking into getting a car. This is somewhat time-sensitive as I’m due w the baby pls G-d in 3 weeks and it would be ideal to get the car as soon as possible, before the baby comes.  But seeing that we’re in the Three Weeks and fast approaching…

16 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Haircut for Shabbat during 3 Weeks?

Hi Rabbi Simon, I hope you are well. I was surprised to learn that the restrictions during bein hametzarim [the interval from 17 Tammuz until 9 Av, often known as the Three Weeks] are only minhag and not actually enacted by the Sages of the Talmud (ie D’Rabbanan). I read your reply re shaving on Friday during the Three Weeks…

10 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Aromatic Chanukah Candles

Q: As my usual Chanukah candles do not burn for long I decided to use tea lights for Friday night. [This is necessary because we light Chanukah candles on Friday at the same time as (or earlier than) Shabbat candles (3:44 pm in London this year). Yet the Chanukah lights need to burn for 30 minutes after dark, ie until…

02 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

The Vagaries of S&P Shabbat Times

Dear Rabbi Simon On a recent visit to the Sephardi (S&P) synagogue in Maida Vale (your old neighbourhood from the original JLE days) I noticed that the Shabbat times in the venerable [and soon to be updated] S&P siddur are rounded to the nearest half-hour (not sure whether up or down, or just down, so whether 3.58pm goes to 3.30pm…

02 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Online Fame, Shabbat Dateline

Dear Rabbi Simon I have been asked to be interviewed for an online magazine.  Initially, they wanted to interview me today (Friday) with the intention to publish the online article on Shabbat. I asked them if the interview could be done on Sunday, and now they have agreed to delay the article. However, it is probable (though not sure) that…

Questions & Answers
this week

Questions and Answers

Ask the Rabbi: Quinoa on Pesach
Dear Rabbi Simon,
Where do you stand on quinoa (and the kitniyot ban) for Pesach?
Many thanks,
Tzippy
***
Dear Tzippy,
In line with other American authorities, I am in favour of quinoa. Although I reject completely the voices (mostly from Israel) seeking to abolish the ban on kitniyot entirely, IMO we do not need to include in the prohibition pseudo-grains that were unknown in the Old World until modern times. Best to buy with a Pesach hechsher though, to be free of any possible wheat contamination.
Rabbi Rashi Simon
Events / Calendar

Upcoming Events

Mon, 09/21 Whole day
Yom Kippur