Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai: Redeeming the Sparks of the Arzei Levanon

Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai, one of the greatest disciples of Hillel haZaken, was the chief Torah leader who witnessed the darkest period of churban. As Jerusalem was being torn apart by rebel-infighting and Jewish self-hatred, Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai hatched a plan to escape the city and convince the Romans to allow for the survival […]

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Joy of All the Earth

Every Monday, we recite a stirring ode about the beautiful city of Yerushalayim from Tehillim chapter 48. The Bnei Korah describe Jerusalem as the יפה נוף משוש כל הארץ, fairest of sites, joy of all the earth. Based off this verse, Rebbe Yochanan (in Midrash Rabbah Pekudei 52:5) describes a peculiar phenomenon that took place […]

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