There’s a woman I know who was born missing one hand. She was fitted with a prosthetic, which I’m sure she wore, while she was single, whenever she was in public, and especially while dating. But now she is baruch Hashem happily married and the mother of a lively brood, and I suppose she feels no one is judging her anymore. Add the fact that she finds the prosthetic to be bothersome and uncomfortable (she has taught herself to do everything using just one hand)—and she decided to give up wearing it.

So if you’re walking past her on the street, you’ll see a regular frum lady pushing a baby carriage with one hand, while the sleeve of her other arm dangles loosely past the wrist, at her side. If you’re cringing while reading this, believe me when I tell you that, while talking to the woman, you hardly even notice her birth defect. She’s so normal and natural about it—you just end up focusing on her, as a person, rather than on her missing hand.

Zevi Bloch, on the other hand (pun unintended!), does not operate like that. Although his deformity is much less obvious than this woman’s, entailing missing toes rather than a missing hand, Zevi is so self-conscious about it that his roommates and friends can’t help but be suspicious. What major secret could Zevi be hiding beneath his socks and shoes, both of which seem to never come off his feet?

And it’s not just Zevi who is self-conscious about it. Shoshie, his mother, is consumed with shame about her son’s deformity…and no small amount of guilt, too. She is sure Zevi’s whole accident happened only because of her…

Interest piqued? It certainly should be, because this novel is not your typical story! It’s suspenseful and emotion-laden and humorous and well-written…everything you’re looking for in a great book! So go ahead and treat yourself to Without a Trace—a book that will provide you with a whole lot of reading pleasure!

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Ever heard a little kid singing a song incorrectly? He’s trying to sing “V’zakeini,” but what’s coming from his vocal chords is sounding something suspiciously like, “U’miri esa oros, ba’Torah u’manisitim…”

Now, it might be cute hearing it this way from a little child, but once that kid gets older, well, somewhere along the way, you hope he learns the correct words to the beautiful song. Otherwise, when he sings it, it really isn’t so “cute” anymore…

And when it comes to facts that a person was misinformed about, back when he was a kid, and that he still remains misinformed about, even years since his kindergarten graduation…that’s a tad more “not so cute.” And when those facts are actual halachos that the person is attempting to keep and to do—well, the problem just becomes exponentially greater. Someone better enlighten that person soon about the correct way of doing things, or else!

That’s where But I Thought comes into the picture. But I Thought is an eye-opening breakthrough in the world of halachah books. In it, more than twenty topics in halachah and Jewish custom are thoroughly explored, with an emphasis on highlighting and clarifying the erroneous assumptions that numerous people have about many of these halachos and customs.

So if, for example, you’ve been saying the pesukim of “Reishis chachmah” and “Torah tzivah” every morning immediately after washing negel vasser…now you’ll see that it seems that should not be done.

And if you’ve always ended your Shemoneh Esrei by bouncing on your heels a few times (after taking your three steps forward)…now you’ll see that there’s no source for doing so.

Surprise yourself while reading this book—and, more importantly, enlighten yourself about many halachos and customs that you thought you knew well…but really, perhaps did not!

A must-have for every halachah-abiding household!

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Whoever thought up the concept of children’s books accompanied by read-along CD’s must have been a genius. As every battle-weary mother knows, once your kid finds a book she absolutely loves, she will ask you to read it to her 250 times. At the very least. With a read-along CD, your vocal chords are given a rest, as you can cheerfully let your finger do the work for you—by simply pressing “Play.” What an amazing idea!

The only thing more amazing than this would be…a read-along book and CD on the topic of brachos! Most good Jewish mothers begin teaching their kids to say brachos at a young age, and what better way to reinforce which brachah to say on which food than by having your kids read and hear about it over and over again, via a read-along book and CD?

If you’ve been nodding your head and following me until this point, then I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that there actually is such a wonderful product out on the market: What’s the Brachah?—an adorable read-along book and CD that teaches kids which brachos to say on which foods.

Folks, this is not your ordinary book on brachos! For starters, the illustrations nearly jump off the pages of the book—they’re that vivid and imaginative! Your kids will be begging to turn the page, while you’ll still be busy ogling over the best of Racheli Edelstein’s drawings.

The text is snappy and fun, too, and you’ll watch this book become a fast family favorite in no time at all. So much so, that even with the CD, you may just find yourself reading the book to your kids 250 times anyway!

Click here to purchase online.