The fast of the Ninth of Av, Tishah B’Av, is the most famous and the most stringent of all the fasts relating to the destruction of the Holy Temple and the Exile. Yet even before the first destruction and exile by the Babylonians in 421 B.C.E., the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av…
Inasmuch as I am in mourning for my mother, of blessed memory, who passed away a little more than three weeks ago, my mind is somewhat preoccupied with the concept of the soul, life, death and the world to come. The Jewish view of the human being includes both the physical and the spiritual. The…
We will be celebrating the giving of the Torah this coming Sunday and Monday on Shavuos. So, here a few words about the actual physical artifact of the revelation, the Torah Scroll. Forty years after the Exodus from Egypt, when the Jewish people were finally preparing to enter the Land of Israel, Moses wrote down…
This coming Sunday is the 28th of Iyar, the day when Jerusalem’s Old City and the Western came back into Jewish hands during the 1967, Six Day War, and it is also the date of the anniversary of the death (yahrzeit) of the prophet Samuel. The Jewish people have a special relationship with the entire…
Israel and the Omer Two incredibly significant events in modern Jewish history occurred during the period between Passover and Shavuot — the founding of the State of Israel on the 5th of Iyar, 5708 (May 14th 1948) and also the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem by the Israel Defence Forces on the 28th…
As we approach Shavuot, the festival that, amongst other things, celebrates the giving of the Torah, we should focus on the mitzvah (commandment) of Torah study. In general, the pursuit of knowledge in modern society usually has a clear, utilitarian purpose – to make a living, to further a career, or to become famous. In…
For the Jewish people who came out of Egypt, the period between the Exodus and the Revelation at Mt. Sinai was one of continuous spiritual awakening. Their relationship with G-d grew stronger and closer. Miraculous events occurred daily. For the Jewish people in subsequent generations, this period continues to be one of the greatest of…
The Jewish people’s journey toward nationhood began on Passover. The Exodus redeemed them from physical slavery and subjugation, but they still lacked a national identity and purpose. This was conferred upon them only later — when the Jewish people both heard and saw the words of God at Mt. Sinai. In those moments, the newly…
Diaspora Doubts In the times of the Temple, the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court) would decide when to sanctify a new month primarily on the basis of eyewitness reports. Two people would come to the court and testify that they had seen the new moon. If the court accepted the testimony (based on specific criteria), Rosh Chodesh…
We just celebrated the beginning of the month of Nissan, the Hebrew month in which Passover occurs and we also read a special Torah reading about the creation of the Jewish calendar. Measuring and marking the passage of time is a universal human preoccupation. At least forty different calendars are in use around the world…