Shemitah in Jerusalem
The opening verse of the parsha seems to indicate that once the Jewish people enter the Land of Israel they…
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Celebrating the “First of Zion”
When discussing the holiday of Sukkot, the Torah states that “you should take on the first day [of Sukkot] the…
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The Holiness and Togetherness of Jerusalem
Our parsha opens with God’s charge to the Jewish people: “Be Holy!” What is the precise meaning of this mandate?…
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Traveling Out of Egypt and To Jerusalem
The Jewish people left the Egypt in a haste. On the night of the first Seder they had to show…
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The Protection of Pesach in Jerusalem
This year, the first day of Pesach coincides with Shabbat. We are familiar from other holidays that this cooccurrence changes…
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The Great Shabbat and Jerusalem
This Shabbat is an important step in our preparation for and march towards Pesach. Commemorating the miracle of the Jewish…
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The Purity of Jerusalem
This week’s parsha opens with the laws of childbirth. We are taught that the mother of the new baby becomes…
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Elders of Jerusalem
Our parsha opens with Moshe calling people to come to the Mishkan’s inaugural ceremonies: “On the eighth day Moshe called…
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God’s Celestial and Terrestrial Thrones
After the Jewish people’s initial war against Amalek, Moshe declares that there will be an ongoing battle throughout the generations:…
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The Unifying Heart of the People
This week’s haftorah focuses on Shlomo’s prayer upon completing the construction of the Beit HaMikdash. He begins with a statement…
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