Synopsis: We noted last week that in this situation, although one does not have his tefillin on, he should nevertheless recite the first verse of Shema and “Baruch Shem k’vod” with the congregation.

Answer: Many Geonim and Rishonim maintain that “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” is not a birkat ha’mitzvah, but rather a birkat ha’shevach (a blessing of praise). These authorities include Rav Yosef ...

I grew up praying to a god in a language I did not understand. In particular, as an observant Conservative Jewish American (that is, “Conservative Jewish, not “conservative, Jewish”), I grew up ...