Why Does Preparing for Pesach have to be such Agonizing Slavery?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Chol HaMoed PesachPrintable Version Dear Rebbetzin,Growing up in a yekkish (German Jewish) home I naturally became a ‘neat freak.’ Soon after Tu b’Shevat I start Pesach preparations as it takes me and my cleaning crew about two month to get...

Why Do We Need All These Animal Sacrifices?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Parashat TzavPrintable VersionDear Rebbetzin,I’ve been a vegetarian for many years and I have a hard time with the notion of animal sacrifices which is so central in the Book of Vayikra. These rites seem to me barbaric and unethical to...

What will Give me Strength to Deal with all my Hardships?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Parashat VayikraPrintable VersionDear Rebbetzin,I really feel at a complete loss, and have a hard time keeping up my emunah (faith). My biological clock has been ticking for more than a decade, and I don’t know if I will ever get married and...

How can I Help Restore Peace when Dementia Pulls the Family Sanctuary Apart?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Parashat Vayakhel/PekudeiPrintable VersionDear Rebbetzin,I’ve been put in a difficult situation acting as a middleman between a daughter and her mother who is undergoing hardship and grief due to the husband’s dementia and subsequent...

Why are only Males Commanded to Appear at the Temple During the Three Pilgrim Holidays?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Parashat Ki Tisa Printable VersionDearest Rebbetzin,I have a question for you – I feel very hurt when I read that Hashem wanted only the “males” to come to the Temple during the Shalosh Regalim (Pilgrim Festivals). The word used to...

Why do we Need to Know all these Details of the Mishkan (Tabernacle)?

by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha | Ask the Rebbetzin

Ask the Rebbetzin – Parashat TerumaPrintable VersionDearest Rebbetzin,I’ve been wondering why the Torah goes into such details in describing the Mishkan. It seems a bit tedious to go through all the measurements of each of the Tabernacle and its vessels. Why are...