by Elad and Lital We love Israel and know best the moral dilemmas we faced. Lital and I participated in the 6th “Israeli Soldiers Tour,” speaking on campuses, high schools, synagogues and churches throughout the Northeast. This included John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) staged a “die-in” last … Read more
Though not clearly described in the Torah as the day of the receiving of the Torah Shavuot is clearly that. We read the following in the book of Sh’mot/Exodus 19:1: “In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, that same day (bayom hazeh) came they … Read more
Rabbi Eliezer Melamud By counting the Omer, we gradually elevate ourselves in two ways. By counting the Omer, we draw a line that continuously ascends from Pesach to Shavuot. The holiday of Pesach represents Israel’s national side, for the Exodus from Egypt revealed Israel’s uniqueness, in that God chose us from among all the other … Read more
The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries. Yet this idea that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people — appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of … Read more
From Ron Jager Yom Hazikaron, Yom Haatzmaut are back to back, and Yom Hashoah is only a few days earlier. The weeks following Pesach are always an emotionally charged period in Israel. From celebrating the redemption of the Jewish nation during Pesach, we move on to Yom Hashoah, the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. We then … Read more
Rabbi Chanan Morisson With the construction of the Tabernacle complete, the holy structure began to fulfill its primary purpose: a conduit for communication between God and Moses. “I will commune with you there, speaking to you above the ark-cover” (Ex. 25:22). Before each actual communication, God would first summon Moses to the tent, with a … Read more
Gil Ronen, A7 Staff Less than six days before the polls open on Election Day, there is a palpable concern in nationalist circles – and real hope in some leftist ones – that the Left could topple Likud from government and take its place. Some polls give the Labor-Hatnua ticket under Yitzhak Herzog and Tzipi … Read more
Rabbi J. Sacks The simcha we celebrate throughout the month of Adar is different from the normal joy we feel when something good and positive has happened to us or our people. Rabbi Dr. Sacks was Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the… There is a unique law in the approach to Purim. … Read more
