Parashat Terumah - Creating a "Vessel" for Love
At the beginning of Parashat Terumah it says: “ve'yikchu li terumah”—“and (let them) take an offering for Me.” The verse says “let them take,” though “let them give” would seem more appropriate. Ramb…
Torah
Articles, recipes, prayers and stories about family, motherhood and Jewish traditions.
Heroines of the Scroll of Esther - Esther-Hadassah
There are other female characters in Megillat Esther as well. The girls and women who were gathered for Achashverosh’s harem so that he could choose a wife spent a year undergoing all kinds of treatm…
Heroines of the Scroll of Esther - What Do Vashti and Zeresh Teach Us?
As is well known, the Scroll of Esther contains no mention of the Almighty. Yet the Almighty’s presence can be glimpsed through all the “chance” events that determined the fate of the Jewish people.…
A Drop of Goodness – How Can Judgment Be Turned into Mercy?
“They looked and saw: a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead. Their camels were laden with spices, balm, and frankincense” (Genesis, 37:25). “Why does the Torah mention what they were carryi…
Jonah - The Gift of Prophecy - In the Merit of Joy
In discussing Jonah, we touched on certain aspects of receiving prophecy. And it seems that we should now make some additions and clarifications in this connection. We must understand that prophets w…
Jonah - A Disciple of the Prophet Elijah
This prophet's book is read at Mincha on Yom Kippur. Its central message is that the Almighty wants every person, even the most misguided, to mend their ways, and accepts that change. Jonah was a dis…
Malachi - My Messenger
The prophet Malachi. The exact translation of his name is My Messenger. Whose name is this? One opinion holds that he was Mordecai, who lived at the same time. After all, Mordecai is also considered…
The Book of Zechariah — Mourning the Death of Mashiach ben Yosef
As we conclude our analysis of the book of the prophet Zechariah, we will consider a few more important aspects of his prophecy. At the end of chapter 12 (from verse 11 to the end), the prophet sets…
The Book of Zechariah — Prophecy about the Days of Mashiach
The last thing we should consider in the book of Zechariah is his prophecy about the days of Mashiach. Chapter 8, verses 4 and 5: “...old men and old women will sit in the squares of Jerusalem, each…