Category: Mesora

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen(With thanks to Dr. Joel Berman) The Gemora reports that the Aron was Nosei Es Atzmo, it carried itself. תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה דף לה עמוד א. נשא ארון את נושאיו ועבר, שנאמר: ויהי כאשר תם כל העם לעבור ויעבור ארון ה’ והכהנים לפני העם. ועל דבר זה נענש עוזא, שנאמר: ויבאו עד … Continue reading The Surprising Weight of the Aron

***********The Creation Saga****** Being a proposed synthesis of Torah sources and current scientific knowledge Rabbi Shlomo Cohenאב תשפ”ג August 2023 First draftSecond draft sept. ‘23 Before we begin, this is an attempt to elucidate the most abstruse Perek in the entire Torah. In fact, this Perek is on par with, if it doesn’t exceed, the … Continue reading An Exposition of the First Parsha of Breishis

                        Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.hiqjew.com      There is a fascinating tendency in Jewish history for major epochs to occur in approximate, but regular, 500- year jumps.   Beginning now: If we go back 500 years we find ourselves at the beginning of the … Continue reading THE CAPSULE VERSION OF JEWISH HISTORY

  By Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com I am often asked, at seminars, how it is possible for the Torah to have been passed down, unchanged, over the course of 3,300 years. The original message must be shrouded in the mists of antiquity. A bunch of old, gray bearded Rabbis probably changed all sorts of things … Continue reading HOW LONG AGO WAS THE TORAH GIVEN?

Given the lack of Hadracha given to most young men and women, we will now proceed to outline a basic approach. If nothing else, this should give you an idea of what is acceptable, what issues need be considered and what Sh’eilos need be asked. Too often, a new BT walks into Yiddishkeit with his/her … Continue reading PART THREE – DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS MINHAG?

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com As Part One of this paper took shape, a series of discussions ensued regarding a connected subject; in what instances may an Ashkenazi eat Chagovim [kosher locusts]? This, in turn, led to a series of interesting questions which, in turn led to a number of conversations regarding the status of Minhagim. … Continue reading PART TWO MINHAG AND MESORA – REINSTITUTING LAWS AND CUSTOMS THAT HAVE TERMINATED

  Rabbi Shlomo Cohen WWW.HIQJEW.COM   Mazel Tov! After thirteen hundred years of being unable to perform a Mitzva in the best way possible, the special dye required for the blue string on the Tzitzis has been rediscovered…. Or has it?  Whether it is the real McCoy or not has some interesting ramifications in Halacha. … Continue reading Part one — Should We Wear T’chailes? Who’s a true-blue Jew ?