Freedom Isn’t Complete Yet — What’s Really Happening in Jerusalem Will Shock You
Freedom is not just the absence of slavery.Freedom is the ability to choose—to give, to love “the other,” and even to overcome our inner instincts in order to believe in something higher. Here in our communities, in the heart of Jerusalem, we speak about another layer of freedom.Not abstract. Not theoretical. Real. The freedom to […]
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A Pathetic Shadow
The Gemara Sotah (14a) famously asks why Moshe Rabbeinu so desperately desired to enter Eretz Yisrael: Rebbi Samlai taught: Why did Moshe Rabbeinu desire to enter Eretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat from its produce, or did he need to satisfy himself from its goodness? Rather, this is what Moshe said, “Many mitzvot were […]
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The Pesach of Jerusalem
The name “Pesach” originates with the word used by the Torah to describe God’s saving of the firstborns of the Jewish people: “[God] pasach on the homes of the Jewish people when He smote the Egyptians and saved our homes.” What is the meaning of the word pasach? The simple translation is that it means […]
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The Pleasant Unity of Jerusalem
On Shabbat HaGadol there is a custom to read the chapter of Malachi as the haftorah instead of the standard haftorah for the parsha. The classic explanation for this is that the final verses of the final chapter of Malachi describe the coming of Eliyahu HaNavi to herald the future redemption and therefore it is […]
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The Binding Walls of Jerusalem
Jewish unity is an important value in the Torah. God only rests his presence on the Jewish people when they are unified. We are told that the Jewish people were as one person with one heart when God gave them the Torah. Considering the importance of this unity, we must inquire about how it practically […]
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Jerusalem and Real Freedom
There is something about Jerusalem that feels different. Despite the modernity that surrounds the Old City and the City of David, when we stop and breathe in those places of our past that we have returned to, there is a feeling of freedom that is hard to replicate elsewhere. Why? Where is this inner connection […]
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Eliyahu HaNavi and the Loyalty of the Jewish People to Jerusalem
This year, we have the merit of mentioning Eliyahu HaNavi on two consecutive days. First, during this Shabbat’s haftorah we read about the coming of Eliyahu in the end of days as the heralder of redemption. He will reunite the Jewish people by “returning the hearts of the parents to their children and the hearts […]
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A Festival and a Home For God
Two weeks before the Makat Bechorot, God taught the Jewish people the laws of the first Seder night. After detailing where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do, the Torah emphasizes that this celebration is to be an annual occurrence for all future generations: “This day shall be to you […]
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Jerusalem – The Conclusion Of All Our Prayers
In the Ashkenazi tradition, the final stage of the Seder – Nirtzeh – opens with a the prayer/song of “Next year in Yerushalayim!” What is the meaning of this custom? While many commentators emphasize the unique relationship between Seder night and Jerusalem (as ideally the Seder should be experienced in Jerusalem with a Korbon Pesach), […]
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Jerusalem Quiz – Pesach
Shalom and Chag Pesach Kasher VeSameach Enjoy and be inspired by any style Seder that you are doing. And if anyone “dares” ask “Ma Nishtana” –why is this night or year different from any other year…….you can answer – “Are you serious?” With Corona virus affecting our loves in every corner of the globe –YES […]
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