Seeking the Place He Chooses When describing the need to bring our korbanot to the resting place of the Shechinah – the place ultimately revealed as Yerushalayim and Har HaMoriyah – the Torah commands us to seek out His Presence and come there: (ה) כִּ֠י אִֽם־אֶל־הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֨ר יְקֹוָ֤ק אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֔ם לָשׂ֥וּם אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם לְשִׁכְנ֥וֹ תִדְרְשׁ֖וּ […]
The Torah often employs the phrase לפני ה’ – before Hashem. Yet its precise meaning is not fixed. At times it denotes the heichal, the inner sanctum of the Beit HaMikdash. In other contexts, it refers to the courtyard of the Mikdash. Elsewhere, the Torah is referring to Yerushalayim as a whole. The mitzvah of […]
The complex process of Parah Adumah involved many halachik steps. Beyond its intricacy, every stage had to be conducted in a state of total purity. If someone who was tamei handled the ashes of the red heifer, the ashes would lose their power to purify. To prevent this, Chazal painstakingly enacted numerous safeguards to ensure […]
Tucked away in the beautiful writings of Chazal, one can find a deliberate connection being established between the teiva of Noach and the Beit HaMikdash. The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah 26:2) homiletically interprets the verse in Sefer Tehillim (92:14) that describes the righteous tzaddik being planted in the house of Hashem, שתולים בבית ה’. The […]
Normally, when reciting birkat hamazon during a yom tov, we say a generic verse for all holidays הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו טוב, “the Compassionate One! May He cause us to inherit the day which is completely good.” And yet, on the first night of Sukkot, we will recite two verses. In addition to the […]
Last week, we discussed the miraculous redemption of Rebbe Yishmael ben Elisha. After rescuing the grandson of Rebbe Yishamel Kohen Gadol from Rome, Rebbe Yehoshua sent him back to Eretz Yisrael to study Torah with his trusted chavruta and dear colleague, Rebbe Eliezer ben Hurknus. Rebbe Yishmael quickly rose to become one of the greatest […]
Rebbe Yehoshua ben Chananya was one of the chief disciples of Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai. As we discussed last week, he lived through the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and loyally carried his rebbe out of the holy city in order to facilitate an eventual salvation for Torah and Yerushalayim. The Gemara Chagiga informs us […]
We famously commemorate the ten great martyrs, known as the asarah harugei malchut, every Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. These giant Torah sages, likened to towering cedar trees, were cut down by the Romans in brutal fashion. As we near the Three Weeks and the period in which we mourn Jerusalem’s destruction, I thought it […]
Allow me to describe one of my favorite berachot to recite. When traveling to the Kotel HaMaravi from Sha’ar Tzion, I personally thrill when witnessing the three beautiful domes that rise above the landscape of the Jewish quarter, domes that have been rebuilt and restored since the reclaiming of Jerusalem in 1967. I recite the […]
Last week, we described the miraculous capacity of Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim to accommodate throngs of Jews beyond normal physical constraints. How can a physical space hold more than its natural capabilities? The Maharal (to Gittin 57a) explains that it is, in fact, impossible for a physical vessel to upend the natural order and contain […]
Seeking the Place He Chooses
Seeking the Place He Chooses When describing the need to bring our korbanot to the resting place of the Shechinah – the place ultimately revealed as Yerushalayim and Har HaMoriyah – the Torah commands us to seek out His Presence and come there: (ה) כִּ֠י אִֽם־אֶל־הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֨ר יְקֹוָ֤ק אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֔ם לָשׂ֥וּם אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם לְשִׁכְנ֥וֹ תִדְרְשׁ֖וּ […]
Explore moreLifnei Hashem In Purity and Joy
The Torah often employs the phrase לפני ה’ – before Hashem. Yet its precise meaning is not fixed. At times it denotes the heichal, the inner sanctum of the Beit HaMikdash. In other contexts, it refers to the courtyard of the Mikdash. Elsewhere, the Torah is referring to Yerushalayim as a whole. The mitzvah of […]
Explore moreWhere Death Yields to Life: Har HaZeitim as the Refuge of Purity
The complex process of Parah Adumah involved many halachik steps. Beyond its intricacy, every stage had to be conducted in a state of total purity. If someone who was tamei handled the ashes of the red heifer, the ashes would lose their power to purify. To prevent this, Chazal painstakingly enacted numerous safeguards to ensure […]
Explore moreHoly Temple on Water
Tucked away in the beautiful writings of Chazal, one can find a deliberate connection being established between the teiva of Noach and the Beit HaMikdash. The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah 26:2) homiletically interprets the verse in Sefer Tehillim (92:14) that describes the righteous tzaddik being planted in the house of Hashem, שתולים בבית ה’. The […]
Explore moreThe Booth of David
Normally, when reciting birkat hamazon during a yom tov, we say a generic verse for all holidays הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו טוב, “the Compassionate One! May He cause us to inherit the day which is completely good.” And yet, on the first night of Sukkot, we will recite two verses. In addition to the […]
Explore moreThe Daughters of Israel are Beautiful, All of Israel are Princes
Last week, we discussed the miraculous redemption of Rebbe Yishmael ben Elisha. After rescuing the grandson of Rebbe Yishamel Kohen Gadol from Rome, Rebbe Yehoshua sent him back to Eretz Yisrael to study Torah with his trusted chavruta and dear colleague, Rebbe Eliezer ben Hurknus. Rebbe Yishmael quickly rose to become one of the greatest […]
Explore moreRebbe Yehoshua ben Chananya: the Redemption of Rebbe Yishmael
Rebbe Yehoshua ben Chananya was one of the chief disciples of Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai. As we discussed last week, he lived through the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and loyally carried his rebbe out of the holy city in order to facilitate an eventual salvation for Torah and Yerushalayim. The Gemara Chagiga informs us […]
Explore moreThe Arzei Levanon of Jerusalem: Rebbe Shimon ben Gamliel
We famously commemorate the ten great martyrs, known as the asarah harugei malchut, every Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. These giant Torah sages, likened to towering cedar trees, were cut down by the Romans in brutal fashion. As we near the Three Weeks and the period in which we mourn Jerusalem’s destruction, I thought it […]
Explore moreA Tale of Three Domes
Allow me to describe one of my favorite berachot to recite. When traveling to the Kotel HaMaravi from Sha’ar Tzion, I personally thrill when witnessing the three beautiful domes that rise above the landscape of the Jewish quarter, domes that have been rebuilt and restored since the reclaiming of Jerusalem in 1967. I recite the […]
Explore moreSoul of the Holy City
Last week, we described the miraculous capacity of Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim to accommodate throngs of Jews beyond normal physical constraints. How can a physical space hold more than its natural capabilities? The Maharal (to Gittin 57a) explains that it is, in fact, impossible for a physical vessel to upend the natural order and contain […]
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