Jerusalem
Chayei Sarah – Laying Claim to Israel
Why do the children of Ishmael and Canaan lay claim to Israel specifically in front of Alexander the Great? Why do the responses come from Gevia the hunchback? Why does Alexander feel drawn toward Jerusalem? Why does he want to enter the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount? What does it mean that Abraham…
Read MoreLech Lecha – Inspiring Impressions
Why does the Torah stress the fact that Sarah was so beautiful? What does the midrash mean when it says that Abraham realized how beautiful she was when he saw her reflection in the Nile river? Why did Pharaoh give his daughter to Abraham and Sarah to be their maidservant? Why did Abraham call Jerusalem…
Read MoreAri Goldwag orchestra video (one man band)
Some more thoughts
Over Shabbos, and continuing until today, I have had a few thoughts that I found inspiring and wanted to share with you. On Friday night, when I came home from davening, I opened up the Mishpacha magazine, and I read something that was so exciting, it literally made me sing with joy. It was an…
Read MoreIm Eshkachech
Esav, the pope, and the president
Just a quick thought, which is based on a similar idea that the Rabbis Kessin have said. Esav is the fallen Moshiach ben Yosef, who is jealous of Yakov and Yosef who have replaced him in his job. Moshiach ben Yosef’s job is connection – tikkun habris – rectifying the place of connection between the…
Read MoreJerusalem: Not For Sale
What is it about Yerushalayim that makes it so central on the world stage? Why does the United States government care if we build in our capital? Why does the Arab world get up in arms if we build a synagogue in our capital city? What is it about the current situation that is so…
Read MoreWhy Jerusalem?
I was shocked by Tomer Devorah’s post about the EU’s planned announcement that Jerusalem should officially be the capital of a ‘Palestinian’ state. It is on one hand extremely upsetting, and on the other hand extremely exciting, as we watch the drama unfold right in front of our eyes. We all know that the Neviim…
Read MoreObama and Jerusalem
It was very disturbing for me to hear that the United States government has demanded a halt to construction in Jerusalem. This is our city, torn from us so long ago, the city we have hoped for and dreamed of for centuries. This city has been the center of our prayers, and we ask three…
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