Holiday Teachings

The Fifteen Stages That Form the Backbone of Our Pesach Ritual and trace the soul’s journey from conception, birth, childhood, maturity and, finally, enlightenment.

Pesach teachings over the years (2003-present.)

You are joyfully invited to   The 29th Annual Open-House, DAIRY, Pot-Luck (Dance & Learn) Purim Party for Women at Sarah Yehudit’s house in the Old City. Friday, Shushan Purim, March [...]

Purim 2019 / 5779 Sarah Yehudit Schneider Based on R. YYYY Safrin of  Komara’s Commentary on Esther called Ketem Ofier (4:1 – 5:4) Mordecai charges Esther to go before the king, and plead for her [...]

Purim Teachings Through the Years (1988 – Present).

“If the Torah had not been given, we would still have learned modesty from the cat, industriousness from the ant…” and many important instructions-by-example from the plant kingdom. [TB Eruvin [...]

Tu B’Shvat teachings over the years (2007-present).

The Still Small VoiceTu B'Shvat Hagada, fifteen years in the making, is finally available for public enjoyment.

The kabbalists read into Chanukka’s eight days, a journey of progressive tikun down through the sefirot from Binah to Malchut. Curiously, Binah associates with the higher Shekhina called Ima [...]

Just as eyes are windows to the soul, so the Chanukka lights are windows into the soul of the chag.

Rosh HaShana 5779 / 2018[1] Sarah Yehudit Schneider Divine perfection, in order for it to be infinite, must include the possibility of perfecting…a never-ending process by which perfection [...]

Rosh HaShana teachings over the years (2004-present).

Tisha B’Av 2018 / 5778 Sarah Yehudit Schneider This year we have an awkward convergence. Tisha B’Av—the day for mourning the woes of our nation—falls on Shabbos—our day of spiritual delight [...]

A Tisha B’Av Talk and Suggestion for Elul Work Sarah Yehudit Schneider My question is: how can it be, that for two thousand years we’ve known that Baseless Hatred is what caused our exile, [...]

Shavuot 5778 / 2018 Sarah Yehudit Schneider “And you shall know the soul of a convert // because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” [Ex 23:9] All HaShem’s secrets are buried in the [...]

Shavuot teachings over the years (2008-2016).

Pesach 5778 / 2018 Sarah Yehudit Schneider Kadesh. Urchatz We start the seder by pronouncing the fifteen steps that will comprise our evening’s ritual which (among other things) marks the [...]

Purim 2018 / 5778 Sarah Yehudit Schneider The Talmud asks: “Why did the Jews of that generation deserve extermination? Because they derived pleasure [נהנו] from the feast of that wicked one [...]

Tu B’Shvat, 5778 / 2018 Sarah Yehudit Schneider All the trees of the field (שִֹיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה) did not yet exist on the earth, and all the wild plants had not yet sprouted. This was because God [...]

This Chanukka teaching is dedicated to Yaku, daughter of Heltcha: “Thank you for sharing your light with this world. May blessings of love and healing always be with you on your journeys.” …Karin [...]

This essay presents Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Gellman’s exploration of the Mei HaShiloach’s teachings on the Akeida that appears in his book “The Fear, the Trembling, and the Fire.” There may be some [...]

Tisha B’av 5777 / 2017 Sarah Yehudit Schneider [When you come into your Promised Land] HaShem will only uproot the nations before you gradually, little by little. You will not be able to [...]

Tisha B’Av teachings over the years (2007-present).

Shavuot 5777 / 2017 Sarah Yehudit Schneider If it’s truth then it’s also Torah. [TY RH 3:8] If it’s wisdom then it’s also Torah. [M. Tanchuma, Vayelekh 2] Yet, not exactly, because: [If someone [...]

Pesach 5777 / 2017 Sarah Yehudit Schneider Blessed be the Makom (Place). Blessed be He. Blessed be the one who gave Torah to His people, Israel. Blessed be He. The Torah addresses four children.  [...]