Ancient Connection – Modern Pioneers
The double bombing in Jerusalem last week and subsequent search for the suspects in Eastern Jerusalem brings up the need to continue to return Jewish life to all parts of Jerusalem. This includes those neighborhoods where Arabs came in the 1920s, 1930s and ultimately between the years of 1948 and 1967. It is impossible to […]
Torah sources highlight the uniqueness of dew as a sui-generis form of blessing. There are two primary qualities of dew’s blessing. First, dew is constantly being replenished and renewed. The midrash notes that even when God punishes the Jewish people by withholding rain, nonetheless, dew never ceases. Second, as opposed to rain which is unwelcome […]
We often times focus on Jerusalem for its spiritual, political, and historical importance. Yet, Jerusalem can be seen as something else as well. The current urban green movement has only recently reached Israel. We see amazing green buildings in Tel Aviv and even a few in the more modern areas of Jerusalem. However, we can […]
After many decades of waiting, our parsha tells the story of Yitzhak’s birth. This miracle was met with great joy on the part of Avraham and Sarah and the Torah details that on the day that Yitzhak was weaned his parents celebrated with a “great feast.” At the early stages in Yitzhak’s life, though, we […]
In the post-mabul world, God imparts certain basic messages to Noah that are to be the cornerstone of a new Godly and moral society. One of the most fundamental directives is the prohibition against murder: Whoever sheds the blood of man through man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God He […]
The story of humanity begins in a garden. The Garden of Eden is a pastoral setting, filled with rivers and beautiful flora and fauna. Prior to their sin, Adam and Chava were able to sense God’s presence through the natural world. It is only after they sinned that they were banished from this pristine natural/spiritual […]
Ever since the Arab occupation of Jerusalem began in the early part of the 20th Century, the Jewish population understood that the only real recourse has been strength. This is what led the early Jewish defense forces like the Bironim, Lechi, Irgun, and Haganah to fight for freedom and safety in Jerusalem – even though […]
The mitzvah of Lulav is intimately bound with Yerushalayim. The Talmud records that outside the Beit HaMikdash there is only a biblical command to take the lulav on the first day of holiday. In the Beit HaMikdash, however, the mitzvah lasts all seven days. Rambam extends this status from the limited area of the Beit […]
One section of this week’s parsha that is particularly resonant this year is the commandment of Hakhel. During the Sukkot immediately following the shemitah year the Jewish people are to gather in “the place that God will choose” to hear the king read from the Torah. On a basic level, this ritual is a form […]
This week’s parsha begins with a covenant being created between God and the Jewish people. After telling the Jewish people that they will be punished for their sins, Moshe concludes this section of his speech with the following verse: Concealed things (nistarot) are for our God, but with overt acts (niglot), it is for us […]
