A Dual Journey to the Center
This week’s parsha opens with God’s epic command to Avraham: “Go forth (Lech Lecha) from your land and from your…
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The Portal of Yerushalayim
Besides the basic wood and tar necessary to build a boat, God tells Noah that the teivah requires one more…
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Jerusalem As A Process
The Torah opens with God creating the world. One would think that God’s creation would be perfect, an ideal setting…
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The Joy of Completion
The only day in the Jewish calendar that contains the word “simcha” (joy) in its title is Simchat Torah. What…
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Building the Sukkah and Yerushalayim
On Sukkot there is a mitzvah to dwell in the Sukkah – “in sukkot you shall dwell for seven days.” …
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Teshuva As A Return to Jerusalem
This week’s haftorah very fittingly is focused on teshuva. Hoshea movingly tells the people to take stock of their spiritual…
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Coronating God in Jerusalem
This year the first day of Rosh HaShanah occurs on Shabbat and therefore we refrain from blowing the shofar. While…
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Teshuva in Jerusalem
On this final Shabbat of the year, we fittingly read about the mitzvah of teshuva (repentance). After describing the Jewish…
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Jerusalem of Fear and Joy
We generally think of simcha (joy) and yirah (fear) as mutually exclusive feelings. Experiencing fear or even the solemnity of…
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Quarantining In Jerusalem
In several instances, the Torah commands us to remember a specific event for posterity. Interestingly, two of the events that…
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