What do we learn from the story of Ruth?
In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) there are five "small" books called Megilot (literally "scrolls"). One of these "Megilot" narrates the story of Ruth, a...
YOM YERUSHALAYIM: Who conquered Jerusalem in 1967?
הפכת מספדי למחול לי
Today, 28th of Iyar, we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, the day Jerusalem returned to our hands. This year, 2017, marks the 50th...
PIRQE ABOT: Who is wise?
איזהו חכם? הלומד מכל אדם
In the fourth chapter of Pirqe Abot Shimon Ben Zoma tells us: "Who is considered to be a wise man?...
DOÑA GRACIA MENDES (Part 6) and a Jewish State in 1564
THE JEWISH STATE OF TIBERIAS
Earlier, we saw that in 1558 Doña Gracia Mendes agreed with Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to rebuild the city of...
DOÑA GRACIA MENDES (Part 5) and Yosef Nasi, Lord of Tiberias
LONG BEFORE HERZL
In 1536, when the inquisition arrived in Portugal, Doña Gracia and her brother-in-law Diogo Mendes moved to Flanders (Antwerp) and transferred all...
Rabbi Abraham de Sola (1825–1882) the Sephardic pioneer of Tora UMada.
Rabbi Abraham de Sola (1825–1882) was a Canadian rabbi, an orientalist, and a prominent scientist. Rabbi de Sola was recognized as one of the...
TAANIT ESTHER: Why Do We Fast Today?
כל עבדי המלך ועם מדינות המלך יודעים אשר כל איש ואשה אשר יבוא אל המלך אל החצר הפנימית אשר לא יקרא אחת דתו להמית
When...
PESAH EVE: Preparations for today and tomorrow
SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017.
As we have explained before (see this) one of the biblical prohibitions of Pesah is to own Hamets, to keep hamets...
More ideas and educational material for a succesful Seder
As we explained yesterday, our mission in the Seder night is to “teach” the Hagada, not only “read” it. To teach the Hagada, among...
PESAH: The Eight Commandments of Pesah
Pesah is less than a month away. The first Pesah Seder will be held B’H Monday night, April 10, 2017. The laws and traditions...
Rabbi Abraham Antebi (1765-1858) and the earthquake that devastated Aleppo
Rabbi Abraham Antebi ז"ל was born in Aleppo (Aram Tzoba), Syria, in 1765. He was a descent of Jews expelled from Spain who settled...
ESTHER 2:7 Mordekhai’s Moral Character
"אַשְׁרֵי שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁפָּט זה מרדכי
עֹשֵׂה צְדָקָה בְכָל עֵת שגדל יתומה בתוך ביתו
In one of his best books, "Intellectuals", the famous historian Paul Johnson describes...
ESTHER 2:5 The Last Jew of Shushan
איש יהודי היה בשושן הבירה
We are approaching Purim, the day we celebrate the miraculous salvation of our people in the days of the Persian...
AMIDA, FOURTEENTH BERAKHA: Jerusalem, a city and its soul
תשכון בתוך ירושלים עירך כאשר דיברת
Restore Your presence to Yerushalayim, Your city, as you have promised,
And may the Throne of David, Your servant, soon...
AMIDA, THIRTEENTH BERAKHA: Protect those who protect us
על הצדיקים ועל החסידים
Grant Your compassion, HaShem our God, to the righteous and to the pious,
To the survivors of Your people Israel, (to their...
AMIDA, TWELFTH BERAKHA: Protect Us from Treason and Betrayal
למינים ולמלשינים אל תהי תקווה
"Let there be no hope for heretics and traitors ..."
The Amida was composed around the Fifth Century before the common...
AMIDA, ELEVENTH BERAKHA: The End of a Broken Judicial System
השיבה שופטינו כבראשונה
Restore our judges as at the beginning, and our political leaders as in the old times,
And remove from us suffering...
AMIDA, TENTH BERAKHA: Jewish People or Jewish Religion?
תקע בשופר גדול לחרותינו
Let the great shofar which will announce our freedom be heard.
And raise a mast to gather our exiles.
And make us return,...
AMIDA, NINTH BERAKHA: The Benefits and Risks of Material Abundance
ברך עלינו...את השנה הזאת
Bless HaShem our God, of this year and all the produce for good.
Grant the dew and the rain for...
AMIDA, EIGHTH BERAKHA: A Prayer for Good Health and Healing
רְפָאֵנוּ ה' וְנֵרָפֵא, הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה, כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה
Heal us, HaShem, and we will be healed, save us and we will be saved, because You...
