Declaring Sovereignty Is A Right, Not A Reaction
After yesterday’s gruesome terror attack in Jerusalem, there have been increased calls to declare sovereignty across Judea and Samaria, and while this is understandable as a knee-jerk reaction, we should think carefully before we do so as some sort of “punishment” to our implacable foes. The fact is, sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and even […]
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When Holiness Attracts Darkness
As Klal Yisrael prepares to enter Eretz Yisrael, HaKadosh Baruch Hu repeatedly warns them to clear the land of the Canaanites. If these evil inhabitants remain, they will become a deep source of trouble for the Jewish people. Hashem warns in Parshas Ma’asei, “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land […]
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A Song From the Abyss: Bnei Korach and the Power of Yerushalayim
As the ground opened to swallow Korach’s rebellious followers, the Torah tells us it tragically included man, woman, and child (Bamidbar 16:32). “How dreadful is machloket!” declares Rashi (ibid 16:27), for Korach’s rebellioncaused the death of even infants, the children of the sinners. Yet remarkably, the children of one rebel were spared. And not just […]
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Jerusalem: The Beating Heart of Our Redemption
Global chaos grows with every passing day. Antisemitism is rising to levels unseen in decades. War rages on multiple fronts, and pressure mounts against Am Yisrael from every direction. The world seems to push relentlessly for our downfall. And yet—we endure. We always have. What is our secret?How has the Jewish people, scattered and battered […]
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Much to Martin’s Chagrin
Martin Luther, the architect of the Protestant Reformation, was also a fervent anti-Semite. Earlier in his life, he seemed to entertain sympathy for Jews in Europe and advocated for light handed tactics. But by the end of his clerical career, he had become a vile and vicious anti-Semite. His growing hatred of Jews culminated in […]
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The Jerusalem Revolution Is Happening In The Shiloach
While the war continues in Gaza a silent revolution is occurring in the Shiloach neighborhood of Jerusalem. Jerusalem has always been front and center of the broader conflict between the Jewish nation and the enemies which surround it. Now something truly amazing is happening in the secluded neighborhood of the Shiloach (aka Silwan). This neighborhood […]
Explore moreMachon l’Shivtecha: The Lower and Heavenly Jerusalems Align
As Bnei Yisrael sing in praise of the great miracles of Yam Suf, they prophetically describe their future entrance to Eretz Yisrael. The Exodus story doesn’t end with Klal Yisrael’s freedom from Egyptian bondage; it continues with kabalat haTorah and entry to Eretz Yisrael, culminating with the building of the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem. This […]
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The Choicest Portion
As the first mitzvah of kiddush hachodesh is communicated to Moshe and Aharon, the verse puts deliberate emphasis on the location of this “conversation”. “Hashem said to Moshe and to Aharon in the land of Egypt saying (Shemot 12:1)” Chazal are perturbed by the emphasis on Eretz Mitzrayim. In the Midrash Tanchuma (parsha 5), they […]
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Let Us Sacrifice To Our God
Every school child knows the story. God told Moses to go speak to Pharaoh. Moses came to the evil Pharaoh and spoke the iconic words, “Let my people go!” But with all due respect to wonderful kindergarten songs, a simple perusal of our parsha reveals that this is actually not what Moshe Rabbeinu said. Throughout […]
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The Princess and Her Delicious Dish
As Yaakov Avinu gathers the shevatim around his deathbed, he blesses them and prophesizes about their future. The Gemara Pesachim (56a) famously tells us that as Yaakov prepared to reveal eschatological secrets, the Divine Presence departed from him. He worried that one of his son’s may be inadequate to receive the prophecy, “perhaps, God forbid, […]
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