The Testimony
22″…These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the testimony…” – Shemot 38:21 אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת – שמות לח, כא What is the “testimony” to which the Torah refers when calling the Mishkan, “The Mishkan of the Testimony”? Rashi explains that the Divine Presence resting in the Mishkan was itself the testimony: “It served as testimony for the […]
Pesach: What Spring Teaches You about Winter
The Torah commands us to structure the calendar in a manner that ensures a spring arrival for the 14th of Nissan, the day Pesach begins. The emphasis placed on the timing of this holiday for the springtime highlights the uplifting message conveyed by the season of spring. During the months of winter, there are almost no visible signs of plant […]
Dayeinu will Not Suffice
“…If He had brought us out from Egypt and had not carried out judgments against them, it would have sufficed for us!….” (The Haggadah) אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים דַּיֵּנוּ… – הגדה של פסח It is our custom to recite the fourteen stanzas of the Dayeinu hymn without interruption, discussing its commentary and explanation only beforehand or afterward. […]
A Conflict of Interest
“…And now, if you forgive their sin… but if not, erase me now from your book that you have written…” – Shemot 32:32 וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ – שמות לב, לב Moshe’s life was defined by two passions: his passion for the Torah and his passion for Bnei Yisrael. On the one hand, Moshe […]
It’s Not Just the Way the Cookie Crumbles
“…Therefore, they called these days Purim, named for the pur…” – Esther 9:26 עַל כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר – אסתר ט, כו The Jewish nation faced a threat of annihilation. Mordechai, their leader, occupied a prominent position in the government (see Esther 2:19, “Mordechai sat at the king’s gate”), and the beautiful and beloved queen of […]
My Problem
“….And Mordechai told him all that had befallen him…” – Esther 4:7 וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ – אסתר ד, ז • Mordechai occupied an important position in the kingdom long before the Purim miracle, as is indicated by the repeated expression in the Megilah, “Mordechai was sitting at the king’s gate” (2:19, 2:21 et al). If the […]
Party Like its 366 BCE
“…A seven-day feast in the courtyard of the king’s palace garden. White, green and blue fabrics, embroidered with cords of linen and purple wool, were draped on silver rods and marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a pavement of green, white, shell, and onyx marble…” – Esther 1:5-6 …מִשְׁתֶּה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּחֲצַר גִּנַּת בִּיתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ: חוּר […]
The Cause or the Conduit?
“…Therefore, they called these days Purim, named for the pur…” – Esther 9:26 עַל כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר – אסתר ט, כו A central theme in the Purim miracle is the procedure and process through which Mordechai and Esther orchestrated the salvation of the Jewish people. “Mordechai sat at the king’s gate” (2:19 et al), a […]
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