Numerical Surprises

In Hebrew, each letter has a numerical value. The numerical value of the dreidel’s nun, gimmel, hey and shin is 358. This is also the numerical value of some key words in Hebrew. It’s the same as Nachash – the snake that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge in the book of Genesis. It’s also…

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Living with Moshiach: Bereishit

On the day G‑d created man, He made him in the likeness of G‑d … and He named them Adam.” -Bereishit 5:1-2 Adam’s soul was a composite of the souls of all his descendants-all of mankind. The Hebrew term for a human thus is adam. Mystics note that adam is an acronym for the names…

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MENORAH WITH SEVEN STEMS

One is prohibited from building a house in the form of the Beis Hamikdosh. One cannot make a courtyard similar to the courtyard of the Beis Hamikdosh. One is forbidden from creating a menorah corresponding to the menorah in the Beis Hamikdosh. He is not allowed to make a menorah that has seven stems even…

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The Messianic Era

A. Restoration of the Bet HamikdashMashiach shall restore the Bet Hamikdash in Jerusalem.1 This refers to the third Bet Hamikdash that will stand forever, in fulfillment of the Divine prophecy of Ezekiel 37:26-28: “I shall give My Sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling-place shall be over them… The nations shall know that I am…

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The Belief in Mashiach

By J. Immanuel Schochet The belief in the coming of Mashiach and the Messianic redemption is one of the fundamental principles of the Jewish faith.1 Every Jew must believe that Mashiach will arise and restore the Kingdom of David to its original state and sovereignty, rebuild the Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple of Jerusalem), gather the dispersed of Israel, and in his days all the laws of the Torah shall be reinstituted…

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Blessing for Hanukkah Candles

Happy Hanukkah Blessing for Hanukkah for You and Yours from Netzari Emunah Keter Shem Tob– Vol. II, pp. 515 – 516 In London and Amsterdam, the practice is to bless over lighting the candles by concluding with “to kindle the lamp of Hanukkah,” while the text in the Land of Israel and in Syria, Togarmah,…

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Parashat Vayeshev / פרשת וישב

SECTION IX. VAYESHEV. And Jakob dwelt in peace in the land of the sojourning of his fathers, in the land of Kenaan. These are the generations of Jakob. Joseph was a son of seventeen years. He had come forth from the school, and was a youth brought up with the sons of Bilhah and the…

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Leah’s Improbable Optimism

BY ANNE NORMAN-SCHIFF The first wife of Jacob endured a loveless marriage, but her story is one of perseverance. When I pray the Amidah, I say the names of the biblical patriarchs in Hebrew. Our God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And then, as Reform and some…

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Advanced Parsha 08 – Vayetzei Zohar

1 “And Ya’akov went out from Be’er Sheva…”In this section of secret Torah teachings, Rabbi Chiya discusses the symbolism and meaning of Ecclesiastes’ resonant verse, “The sun also rises,and the sun goes down, and hastens to its place where it rises again.” The verse refers to Ya’akov, when he was in Be’er Sheva and went…

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Parsha Vayishlach

  וישלח  בס”ד   In וישלח which is the eighth Parsha, the end of the Parsha speaks of the eight kings of אדום.  After the reign of these eight kings,   כלל ישראל had their eight kings כשזה קם זה נופל from the prophesy to Rivka ולאם מלאם יאמץ. Yaakov is working on a diplomatic solution to abate Esav’s…

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Parashat Vayetzei / פרשת ויצא

Lesson Summary Parashat Vayetzei is the seventh weekly reading in the annual Torah reading cycle and the seventh reading of Bereshit (“Genesis”). Vayetzei (וַיֵּצֵא) is Hebrew for And He Left and is the first word of the parashah, which begins with Ya’akov’s (Jacob) departure from his family in Be’er Shava (Beersheva) and his journey toward Haran, to the family of his mother, Rivkah (Rebekah). The parashah records the…

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Rosh Chodesh Kislev / ראש חודש כסלו

Rosh Chodesh Holiday 5779(2018‑2019) 5780(2019‑2020) 5781(2020‑2021) 5782(2021‑2022) 5783(2022‑2023) 5784(2023‑2024) Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan Oct 9 Tu Oct 29 Tu Oct 18 Su Oct 6 W Oct 25 Tu Oct 15 Su Rosh Chodesh Kislev Nov 8 Th Nov 28 Th Nov 17 Tu Nov 5 F Nov 24 Th Nov 14 Tu Rosh Chodesh Tevet Dec 8 Sa Dec 28 Sa Dec 16 W Dec 4 Sa Dec 24 Sa Dec 13 W Rosh…

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