I received from NYS Department of Motor Vehicles my driver’s license renewal. It gave me the option of getting an enhanced driver’s license, which would permit me to travel by land and sea to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean without my passport, for an extra $30. Sure, I thought, why not. The renewal came…
Category: Lenore Davis
A Bissel Torah: Emor
This parshah very clearly establishes that there are three parents that a Jew has, and G-d is very much one of them. The parshah discusses the purity of a simple kohen/priest, the kohen gadol/high priest and a nazir/a man who has taken on some purity stringencies. If a simple Kohen’s immediate family dies, he…
The First Ladies of the Five Towns
In the New York Times last week, there was an article about first lady, Melania Trump, and how she has broken the traditional first lady role. The reporter opined that there was a basic failure of consent between Melania and the President about her role in his Presidential foray. She has not towed the…
Glass Shatters Under the Chuppah
A GLASS SHATTERS UNDER OUR CHUPPAH By: Suri Davis A bride encircles her groom under the chupah seven times, to break through the seven clouds that stand between our Earth and the kisei hakavod/G-d’s throne. They are fasting. They are as babies, free from prior sin. They dedicate themselves to each other and to…
Black and White Passover Night
BLACK AND WHITE PASSOVER NIGHT By: Suri Davis In 1978 a joint session of Congress decided that each year on the anniversary of the birth of the Lubavitcher Rebbe there will be Education and Sharing Day. Today is the Rebbe’s birthday. Today we lost a vital person in American History, Linda Brown. There are…
Zayin Adar
ZAYIN ADAR, MOSHE, ESTHER, PARSHAT ZACHOR AND POLAND By: Suri Davis Zayin Adar is most famously known for being the birth and yahrtzeit/death anniversary of Moshe/Moses. It is also the yahrtzeit of Queen Esther, whom we read about next week on Purim in the Book of Esther. There are no coincidences in life, so there…
A BISSEL TORAH: TERUMAH: WHEN I GROW UP…
I was expecting guests/friends from out of town for Shabbos yesterday. I felt bad that I had to teach at the time they would arrive, so I set the task to my children to greet them and show them to their room. I returned at 9pm, and greeted them and by 10pm it was…
Benefits of Having a Will
“I have a simple estate, I don’t need a will, it will all go to my wife anyway.” Famous last words. Not in New York State, and many other states of the union. You worked hard to build your estate and leave it to your heirs, planning your estate is the efficient and peaceful…
The New 529 Plans
There is a great stir under the new Trump tax plan with regard to deductibility of yeshiva tuitions. And it is marvelous for those who send their children to private schools. Taking a step back, understand that 529 plans in New York are a wonderful creation. It is not only a simple vehicle for…
A Bissel Torah: Yisro: Travels and Travails
A BISSEL TORAH: YISRO: TRAVELS AND TRAVAILS By: Suri Davis I’m tired. I want to make early shabbos—starting Wednesday afternoon. Hehehehe There is a lot to say about the ten commandments in this week’s torah portion, but I’d rather take a broader approach this week. I had some time at NY Law School before…