During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
County seeks to engage expert firms, Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. and Bekman, Marder, Hopper, Malarkey & Perlin, LLC to pursue legal claims against those responsible for Key Bridge collapse
Towson, MD - May 28, 2024 – Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced that the administration plans to partner with experienced and highly-specialized law firms, Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. and Bekman, Marder, Hopper, Malarkey & Perlin, LLC, to proactively pursue and address legal claims against all those responsible for the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Through this partnership, Baltimore County will aggressively take steps to hold all potentially liable parties responsible and to mitigate the extensive losses that the County, residents, b...
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Baltimore, MD – May 24, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Mr. Phil Kalfus, z’l, husband of Mrs. Essie Kalfus and father of Mrs. Susan (Dr. Moshe) Stutman.Mrs. Stutman will return to Baltimore (with her mother, Mrs. Essie Kalfus) on Monday and complete the Shiva at 2311 Rogene Dr., Baltimore, MD, 21209, getting up Wednesday morning.
Nichum Aveilim Hours:
Monday: 3 PM-10 PM
Tuesday: 10 AM-1 PM, 3 PM-10 PM
Wednesday morning: 9 AM-11 AM
As part of her visit to Israel, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, toured the northern border today (Tuesday) together with MK Ambassador Danny Danon. The two met with Sheikh Tarif and dignitaries of the Druze community. This visit was followed by a security briefing from Colonel-in-Chief, Yuval Bazak.
During the tour of the IDF base MK Danon and Amber Nikki Haley visited the IDF post and met with soldiers serving on the northern border. There they signed missiles. Haley wrote: "Finish them! America loves Israel!"
The tour ended with a visit to Kibbutz Kabri where they met with residents of the kibbutz and heard from them about the unbearable situation in which the residents of the north live during this period.
Former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley said:...
Baltimore, MD - May 28, 2024 - Maryland car owners will soon notice quite a significant increase in registration fees.
Starting July 1 passenger cars weighing up to 3,700 pounds will be forced to pay $221 every two years as opposed to the current $135 rate.
Electric vehicle owners, meanwhile, will be stuck with a $100 surcharge on top of registration renewal fees.
The price hikes stem from legislation passed earlier this year in the General Assembly.
WMAR-2 reported in March about the Department of Transportation experiencing a more than $2 billion deficit over the next six years.
Raising registration fees was an option presented by the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs which studied ways to make up for some of the debt.
The State claims fee...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
Shailos for regular or Kashrus shailos may emailed or discussed using this widget.
Baltimore, MD – May 28, 2024 - It is with regret that Baltimore Jewish Life (BJL) informs the community of the petira of Goli Balakhani, a’h, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo and Yafa Balakhani and sister of Yitzchok Yair, Benyamin Balakhani and Shimon Balakhani.
The Levaya will be held at 3:00PM today at Levinson's.
Kevurah in Eretz Yisrael on Wednesday, May 29 at Eretz HaChaim Cemetery - Beit Shemesh, Israel at approx. 6:00PM
Shiva details to follow.
Bila Hamaves LaNetzach...
Baltimore, MD - May 28, 2024 - There is an aura of excitement at Bais Yaakov of Baltimore Lower Elementary School, as the first graders have just begun learning Chumash. While haschalas Chumash is always a very exciting time, this year, the occasion included a unique element, as the girls received a custom printed, specialized Chumash – created just for them.
Rabbi Yitzchok Sanders, Menahel of the Bais Yaakov Lower Elementary, explained, “We used to give out a soft covered, homemade Chumash, with coil binding, to the first graders. These included the parshiyos of Bereishis and Noach, typeset in a manner that was easy to follow. The pages contained only the words of the Chumash, with no meforshim, and plenty of whitespace. There was no need to turn the page in...
Jerusalem, Israel - May 28, 2024 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Golani Brigade Reconnaissance Unit Fighters in the North: "We are committed – in both the civilian and military spheres – to returning the residents safely to their communities and their homes. This is one of the objectives of the war and we are not conceding it."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 28 May 2024), visited IDF Northern District Intelligence Branch base, together with Intelligence Branch Commander Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva and Unit 8200 Commander Brig.-Gen. Y.The Prime Minister was briefed on the intelligence picture and the threats in the northern sector. He also spoke with officers and soldiers serving at the base and heard from them about their service and their sense of m...
Baltimore, MD - May 28, 2024 - A retail worker at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was stopped Sunday with a loaded gun at a security checkpoint in what was called a "possible insider threat," federal authorities said.
Transportation Security Administration officers at BWI Airport intercepted the loaded handgun on May 26 in possession of a retail shop employee. The 9mm gun was loaded with eight bullets when TSA officers detected the firearm among the retail worker's belongings when he was screened at the checkpoint on his way to work, a news release said.
Airport police confiscated the gun, cited the Baltimore man on firearm charges and took away the worker's airport identification badge. Without the badge, the man is unable to work at the airp...
Jerusalem, Israel - May 28, 2024 - With Lag B'Omer immediately after Shabbos this year, the large bonfires traditional in Israel were going strong for two nights. For some, after Shabbos, but for others even through the day, until late Sunday night, the large fires could be found burning.
Fire safety is important with the dry grasses and strong winds of the season. Protecting the forest spaces from wildfires caused by carelessness is crucial. This year no major fires were reported.
In one new initiative, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael - Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) and the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel have connected with a communal forest project. Residents and visitors from nearby neighborhoods can enjoy the quality of life in a green space, along with cultural a...
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari delivered an address this afternoon (Tuesday) in English on the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization and the airstrike in the Rafah area in which 30 people were reportedly killed on Sunday.
Hagari said that contrary to Hamas's claims, the airstrike was carried out over a kilometer from the humanitarian area the IDF had civilians evacuate to from Rafah.
In the strike, which killed two Hamas commanders, the IAF used two 17-kilogram (37 pound) warheads, among the smallest in its arsenal, in an effort to avoid civilian casualties.
He said that the fire caused by the airstrike could not have been caused by the munitions used by the IDF and presented a conversation between two Gazans saying that the Israeli strike was not that s...
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), known for her anti-Israel statements, on Monday blasted Israel over the IDF strike in Rafah a day earlier, which Hamas claimed killed dozens of Gazans who had fled their homes.
“The IDF’s attack on a tent camp of innocents in Rafah is an indefensible atrocity,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media, adding, “This was done in open defiance of President Biden’s red line and the ICJ’s call for a ceasefire.”
She added that it is “long past due” for President Joe Biden to “live up to his word” and stop military aid shipments to Israel.
Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism comes as the incident in Rafah is still being probed by the IDF, which announced an investigation into the...
Israel has told the Biden administration that it used a precision munition to hit a target in Rafah on Sunday, but shrapnel from the explosion ignited a fuel tank nearby and started a fire that engulfed a camp for Gazans who fled their homes and led to dozens of deaths, a US official told CNN on Monday.
“We can’t confirm that but it’s what Israel shared with us,” the official said, “and we assume we will learn more once Israel completes its investigation.”
The United States has not been able to independently confirm the Israeli explanation, the official said.
It is not clear whether the US will conduct its own assessment as throughout the course of the war, the Biden administration has typically relied on Israel to investigate itself and sha...
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the IDF strike that killed 45 Palestinian civilians in Gaza a “tragic mistake” as he vowed never to wave the white flag of defeat as he rejected domestic and international calls to end the war.
“Those who say they are exhausted that they are not ready or can not withstand the pressure,” Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum on Monday, “should hold up the white flag of defeat. I will not wave that kind of flag. I will continue to fight until we wave the flag of victory,” he stated.
In a brief but rousing speech delivered as the international community increasingly believes that Hamas can not be defeated militarily, Netanyahu vowed to battle on.
His address was frequently interrupted by heckling from the gallery wher...
Baltimore, MD - May 28, 2024 - Gas prices in Baltimore have risen 16.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.66 a gallon as of today, according to GasBuddy's recent survey.
Prices in Baltimore are 4.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 18.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, new data shows.
The national average price of diesel has fallen 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.82 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.
"With the summer driving season now underway, average gas prices have seen ups in some areas and downs in others. Most states are seeing prices slightly below their 2024 peak thus far, with some refinery issues in the Great Lakes weighing on prices there, while other areas, like the West Coast, have seen notable relief ...
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told the families of kidnapped soldiers that "80% of the military objectives have been achieved, and achieving the remaining 20% will take more time", Kan reported on Monday.
On Tuesday, Israel is expected to officially deliver its proposal for a hostage release deal to the mediators.
This proposal was formulated by the negotiation team and approved by the War Cabinet. According to government sources, it is considered the most far-reaching offer Israel has made since the beginning of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Major General (res.) Nitzan Alon, responsible for the negotiations on behalf of the IDF, did not participate in the war cabinet meeting yesterday.
Amid criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Israeli negotiation team, so...
The ring was found in the joint Israel Antiquities Authority – Tel Aviv University excavation. Its small diameter leads experts to suggest it is a child’s ring, either girl or boy, who lived in Jerusalem during the Hellenistic period. “An unusual and deeply moving find, not one found every day.”
The find will be exhibited to the public for the first time in the free Jerusalem Day conference arranged by the Israel Antiquities Authority – “Jerusalem Mysteries - The Archaeology of Jerusalem”
A gold ring set with a precious stone dating from the early Hellenistic period was recently found in the joint Israel Antiquities Authority-Tel Aviv University excavation in the City of David, part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park, with the support of the E...
A new study revealed the top states with the longest and shortest emergency room waiting times and Maryland tops the ranking.
The research says residents have a median waiting time of 4.18 hours (251 minutes). Rhode Island came in second with a median waiting time of 3.6 hours (216 minutes).
To put that into perspective, residents of Maryland are waiting longer than North Dakota and South Dakota combined.
The study was conducted by experts at the Zinda Law Group.
At the other end of the scale, the state with the quickest ER time is North Dakota with a waiting time of 1.8 hours.
"By analyzing ER waiting times, we can shed light on the efficiency of healthcare systems in different states. The differences in waiting times may potentially indicate areas where improvements are needed ...
