Shemitah in Jerusalem
The opening verse of the parsha seems to indicate that once the Jewish people enter the Land of Israel they are immediately obligated to observe shemitah: “When you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a Shabbat of God.” The midrash, though, subjects the verse to a close read and […]
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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 [etrog, lulav, haddasim and aravot].” The Midrash hones in on the phrase “the first day” and explains that through the mitzvah of the four species the Jewish people will merit many “firsts.” R. Berechia says: […]
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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? Rabbi Shimon Shkop offers a fascinating interpretation. He writes that “hakdashah” or “sanctification” in Jewish law always refers to the designation of an item to a specific and higher purpose. For example, if one has […]
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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 their hurriedness by eating with their walking sticks and travel clothing. Then, they were rushed out by the Egyptians and did not have time for their dough to leaven. Interestingly, though, this hurriedness seems to […]
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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 our practice of the laws of the holiday. Most notably, we do not blow shofar or shake the lulav on Shabbat. The Talmud explains that the rabbis prohibited the performance of these mitzvot on Shabbat, […]
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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 people safely taking the sheep for the Korbon Pesach, this Shabbat is traditionally a time for studying the laws of the holiday and even for reading sections of the Hagadah. The Sefat Emmet notes that […]
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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 impure for a period of time and cannot enter the Beit HaMikdash. Many commentators have expressed bewilderment over this law. Ritual impurity is usually rooted in items or processes relating to death or negative phenomenon. […]
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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 Aharon and his sons, and the elders of the Jewish people.” It is understandable that Moshe called to Aharon and his sons as they were the ones to perform the service in the Mishkan. The […]
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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: “For a hand is on the throne of God, a war between God and Amalek from generation to generation.” While the second half of the verse clearly expresses an ongoing battle, what is the meaning […]
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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 that “God dwells in the heavy cloud,” referring to the “cloud” of the Divine Presence that had just filled the Beit Mikdash. He soon turns to the people and describes that God had never before […]
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