#torah
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Jonathan Sacks - How to Renew a Nation
Jonathan Sacks – How to Renew a Nation The Talmud gives an ingenious reading to the line, “Moses commanded us a Torah, as a heritage of the congregation of Israel.” Noting that there are 613 commands, and that the numerical value of the w
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Jonathan Sacks - Be Silent and Listen (Ki Tavo 5780)
Jonathan Sacks – Be Silent and Listen (Ki Tavo 5780) Office of Rabbi Sacks · Be Silent and Listen (Ki Tavo 5780) During our first Coronavirus lockdown, there was one question I was asked more than any other: What about prayer? Just when we n
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Jonathan Sacks - Does Love Conquer All? Ki Teitse 5780
Jonathan Sacks – Does Love Conquer All? Ki Teitse 5780 Our parsha contains more laws than any other. Some of them have generated much study and debate, especially two at the beginning, the law of the captive woman and that of the “st
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Jonathan Sacks - A Sage is Greater than a Prophet
Jonathan Sacks – A Sage is Greater than a Prophet In Shoftim, Moses speaks about the great institutions of Judaism: courts, judges, officers, Kings, Priests, Levites and Prophets. In the case of the Prophet, Moses says in the name of God: I will rai
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Judaism: What Does ‘Eye for an Eye’ Really Mean?
Does Torah want us to poke out the eye of an eye-poker?
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Jonathan Sacks - The Covenant and the Love Eikev 5780
Jonathan Sacks – The Covenant and the Love Eikev 5780 An interesting phrase appears at the end of last week’s parsha and at the beginning of this week’s, and they are the only places where it appears in the Torah. The phrase is ha-brit veha-ches
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Jonathan Sacks - The Infinite Game
Jonathan Sacks – The Infinite Game The popular author and TED lecturer Simon Sinek recently published a book entitled The Infinite Game.[1] Based on the distinction first articulated by James P. Carse,[2] it is about the difference between two types
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Jonathan Sacks - Followership
Jonathan Sacks – Followership In the last month of his life, Moses gathered the people. He instructed them about the laws they were to keep and reminded them of their history since the Exodus. That is the substance of the book of Devarim. Early in t
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UNPACKED - Joseph in Egypt | The Jewish Story Explained #2
UNPACKED – Joseph in Egypt | The Jewish Story Explained #2 Ever wonder how a case of sibling rivalry ended up changing the destiny of the Jewish people? We’re digging deep into the core of the epic tale of Joseph and his brothers and explaining wh
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How Two-and-a-Half Tribes Ended Up East of the Jordan - Jewish History
Learn how Moses gave the land east of the Jordan to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manassah, on one condition.
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Jonathan Sacks - Moral vs. Political Decisions
Jonathan Sacks – Moral vs. Political Decisions The coronavirus pandemic raised a series of deep moral and political issues.[1] How far should governments go in seeking to prevent its spread? To what extent should it restrict people’s movements at
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How ‘Torah Breaks’ Help One COVID Nurse Draw Strength and Calm in Chaos
Long Island cardiology assistant Elisheva Gilman-Smith on coping with crisis
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Jonathan Sacks - The Hidden Meaning of the Bilam Story
Jonathan Sacks – The Hidden Meaning of the Bilam Story Many questions have rightly been asked about the story of Balak and Bilam and the would-be curses that turned into blessings. Was Bilam a true man of God, or was he a fraud, a magician, a sorcer
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Jonathan Sacks - Kohelet, Tolstoy and the Red Heifer
Jonathan Sacks – Kohelet, Tolstoy and the Red Heifer The command of the parah adumah, the Red Heifer, with which our parsha begins, is known as the hardest of the mitzvot to understand. The opening words, zot chukat ha-Torah, are taken to mean, th
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Jonathan Sacks - How Not to Argue
Jonathan Sacks – How Not to Argue Korach was swallowed up by the ground, but his spirit is still alive and well, and in the unlikeliest of places – British and American universities. Korach was the embodiment of what the Sages called, argument no
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Jonathan Sacks - What is going on?
Jonathan Sacks – What is going on? In March 2020, whilst launching a new book,[1] I took part in a BBC radio programme along with Mervyn King, who had been governor of the Bank of England at the time of the financial crash of 2008. He, together wit
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Jonathan Sacks - Coronavirus: Loneliness and Faith
Jonathan Sacks – Coronavirus: Loneliness and Faith I have long been intrigued by one passage in this week’s parsha. After a lengthy stay in the Sinai desert, the people are about to begin the second part of their journey. They are no longer travel
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Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein - RAV KOOK ON SHAVUOT- Festival of the Weeks
Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein – RAV KOOK ON SHAVUOT- Festival of the Weeks ואנו באים לחוג את חג השבועות, יום אשר עמדנו בקומה הרוחנית הגמורה שלנו We are celebrating the Festival of the Weeks-the day
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Jonathan Sacks - A Life of Vertical & Horizontal Responsibility: Shavuot During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Jonathan Sacks – A Life of Vertical & Horizontal Responsibility: Shavuot During the Coronavirus Pandemic Join the Chief Rabbi and Rabbi Lord Sacks as they explore the powerful dual responsibility conferred upon us at Sinai. Coming up to Shavu
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Jonathan Sacks -Egalitarian Society, Jewish-Style (Bamidbar 5780)
Jonathan Sacks -Egalitarian Society, Jewish-Style (Bamidbar 5780) The parsha of Bamidbar is generally read on the Shabbat before Shavuot, z’man matan torateinu — “the time of the giving of our law,” the revelation at Sinai. So the Sages, believing
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Jonathan Sacks - The Power of a Curse
Jonathan Sacks – The Power of a Curse The book of Vayikra draws to a close by outlining the blessings that will follow if the people are faithful to their covenant with God. Then it describes the curses that will befall them if they are not. The gen
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Jonathan Sacks - Radical Uncertainty Emor 5780
Jonathan Sacks – Radical Uncertainty Emor 5780 There is something very strange about the festival of Succot, of which our parsha is the primary source. On the one hand, it is the festival supremely associated with joy. It is the only festival in our
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Jonathan Sacks - The Ethic of HolinessJ
Jonathan Sacks – The Ethic of Holiness Kedoshim contains the two great love commands of the Torah. The first is, “Love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18). Rabbi Akiva called this “the great principle of the Torah.” Th
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Jonathan Sacks - Words That Heal Tazria-Metzora 5780
Jonathan Sacks – Words That Heal Tazria-Metzora 5780 At the risk of disclosing a spoiler, I would like to begin this week’s Covenant & Conversation by discussing the 2019 film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Tom Hanks plays the beloved Ame
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Jonathan Sacks - Limits Shemini 5780
Jonathan Sacks – Limits Shemini 5780 The story of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two eldest sons who died on the day the Sanctuary was dedicated, is one of the most tragic in the Torah. It is referred to on no less than four separate occasions. It turn
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Mel Alexenberg - Biblical insights for Winning World War III by Rebooting Your Life
Mel Alexenberg – Biblical insights for Winning World War III by Rebooting Your Life “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8) “Go into your houses, my people, and lock your door behind you; hide for just a moment until the wrath has
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Jonathan Sacks - Left- and Right-Brain Judaism
Jonathan Sacks – Left- and Right-Brain Judaism The institution of the Haftarah – reading a passage from the prophetic literature alongside the Torah portion – is an ancient one, dating back at least 2000 years. Scholars are not sure when, where,
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Jonathan Sacks - Moses Annuls a Vow
Jonathan Sacks – Moses Annuls a Vow Kol Nidre, the prayer said at the beginning of Yom Kippur, is an enigma wrapped in a mystery, perhaps the strangest text ever to capture the religious imagination. First, it is not a prayer at all. It is not even
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Jonathan Sacks - Dressing to Impress
Jonathan Sacks – Dressing to Impress Tetzaveh, with its elaborate description of the “sacred vestments” which the Priests and the High Priest wore “for glory and for splendour,” seems to run counter to some fundamental values of Judaism. The
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Jonathan Sacks - We will do and we will hear
Jonathan Sacks – We will do and we will hear Two words we read towards the end of our parsha – na’aseh ve-nishma, “We will do and we will hear” – are among the most famous in Judaism. They are what our ancestors said when they accepted th
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Rav James Jacobson-Maisels – the path to freedom lies before us – Be'Shalach
Rav James Jacobson-Maisels – the path to freedom lies before us – Be’Shalach Parshat Be’shalach begins with the Israelites setting out from Egypt and camping at Pi-Hachirot, which hyper-literally reads, the mouth, opening, or entrance
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Jonathan Sacks - Crossing the Sea
Jonathan Sacks – Crossing the Sea Our parsha begins with an apparently simple proposition: When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the land of the Philistines, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face
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Jonathan Sacks - The Weighing of the Heart
Jonathan Sacks – The Weighing of the Heart In this week’s parsha, before even the first plague has struck Egypt, God tells Moses: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply My miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt.” (Exodus 7:3) The
Miscellaneous | Judaism
21 Talmud Facts Every Jew Should Know
The bulk of the Talmudic texts contain analysis of Biblical verses and Torah law, but it’s interspersed with everything from medical advice to stories, from folk sayings to fabric dying tips.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Jewish History: Who Was Amram?
Amram, son of Kehot, led the Jewish people in
Egypt and fathered three of the greatest leaders in Jewish history.
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Jonathan Sacks - Joseph and the Risks of Power
Jonathan Sacks – Joseph and the Risks of Power Mikketz represents the most sudden and radical transformation in the Torah. Joseph, in a single day, moves from zero to hero, from forgotten, languishing prisoner to viceroy of Egypt, the most powerful
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Jonathan Sacks - The Angel who did not know he was an Angel
Jonathan Sacks – The Angel who did not know he was an Angel The story of Joseph and his brothers, spread over four parshiyot, is the longest and most tightly-scripted of all the narratives in the Torah. Nothing is there by accident; every detail cou
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Jonathan Sacks - Isaac and Esau Toldot 5780
Jonathan Sacks – Isaac and Esau Toldot 5780 It’s a haunting question. Why did Isaac love Esau? The verse says so explicitly: “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob” (Gen. 25:28). Whichever way we read this
Miscellaneous | Judaism
What Is Tikkun Olam? - What does Tikkun Olam mean, who came up with it, and how do I do it?
Tikkun Olam: In Jewish teachings, any activity that improves the world, bringing it closer to the harmonious state for which it was created.
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Mel Alexenberg - The Bible Begins with God Creating Media Systems
Mel Alexenberg – The Bible Begins with God Creating Media Systems In The Beginning, God Created Media Systems “In the network of all networks, God created media systems for creating heaven and for creating earth. When the earth was absolutely
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Jonathan Sacks - Why is the Jewish People So Small? Va'etchanan 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Why is the Jewish People So Small? Va’etchanan 5779 Near the end of Va’etchanan is a statement with such far-reaching implications that it challenges the impression that has prevailed thus far in the Torah. This remark gives
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Jonathan Sacks - The Teacher As Hero Devarim 5779
Jonathan Sacks – The Teacher As Hero Devarim 5779 Imagine the following scenario. You are 119 years and 11 months old. The end of your life is in sight. Your hopes have received devastating blows. You have been told by God that you will not enter
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Jonathan Sacks - Priorities Matot 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Priorities Matot 5779 The Israelites were almost within sight of the Promised Land. They had successfully waged their first battles. They had just won a victory over the Midianites. There is a new tone to the narrative. We no longer
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Nothing found for 2019 07 18 Jonathan Sacks The Crown All Can Wear Pinchas 5779
Israel Seen is a labor of love and is a portal to the other side of Israel. We provide content from a wonderful array of innovative, interesting, and dynamic Israelis. Our content is rich in vision, compassion, education and understanding of the human con
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Jonathan Sacks - Losing Miriam Chukat 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Losing Miriam Chukat 5779 It is a scene that still has the power to shock and disturb. The people complain. There is no water. It is an old complaint and a predictable one. That is what happens in a desert. Moses should have been ab
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Jonathan Sacks - Arguments for the Sake of Heaven Korach 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Arguments for the Sake of Heaven Korach 5779 The Korach rebellion was not just the worst of the revolts from the wilderness years. It was also different in kind because it was a direct assault on Moses and Aaron. Korach and his fell
Miscellaneous | Judaism
A Rift Extending Across History - Chassidic Masters - Parshah
From the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, through the animosity between Joseph and his brothers, the clash between Saul and David, the split between Judah and Israel, to the dual nature of the messianic redemption—a rift and twinship that extends across h
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Jonathan Sacks - Fear of Freedom Shelach Lecha 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Fear of Freedom Shelach Lecha 5779 The episode of the spies was one of the most tragic in the entire Torah. Who sent them and to what end is not entirely clear. In this week’s parsha, the text says that it was God who told Moses t
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Jonathan Sacks - Camp and Congregation - Beha'alotecha 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Camp and Congregation – Beha’alotecha 5779 The parsha of Beha’alotecha speaks about the silver trumpets – clarions – Moses was commanded to make: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two trumpets of silver; mak
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Jonathan Sacks - Sages and Saints Naso 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Sages and Saints Naso 5779 Parshat Naso contains the law of the Nazirite – the individual who undertook to observe special rules of holiness and abstinence: not to drink wine or other intoxicants (including anything made from grap
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Jonathan Sacks - Jerusalem, the Beating Heart of Jewish Faith
Jonathan Sacks – Jerusalem, the Beating Heart of Jewish Faith This Saturday night and Sunday we will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim. Im eshkachech Yerushalayim. We never forgot Jerusalem, the beating heart of Jewish faith. Here is a short video celebrat
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Jonathan Sacks - Leading a Nation of Individuals Bamidbar 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Leading a Nation of Individuals Bamidbar 5779 Bamidbar begins with a census of the Israelites. That is why this book is known in English as ‘Numbers’. What is the significance of this act of counting? And why here at the
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Jonathan Sacks - The Birth of Hope Bechukotai 5779
Jonathan Sacks – The Birth of Hope Bechukotai 5779 This week we read the Tochecha, the terrifying curses warning of what would happen to Israel if it betrayed its Divine mission. We read a prophecy of history gone wrong. If Israel loses its way spi
Politics | Judea & Samaria
Jews Celebrate EPIC Building Dedication in Hebron - Beit HaShalom
It finally happened! The Jews have moved into Beit HaShalom (House of Peace), the four-story residential complex purchased by Jews in Hebron.
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Jonathan Sacks - Evolution or Revolution? Behar 5779
Jonathan Sacks – Evolution or Revolution? Behar 5779 There are, it is sometimes said, no controlled experiments in history. Every society, every age, and every set of circumstances is unique. If so, there is no science of history. There are no unive
Family & Parenting | Jewish People
The 92-Year-Old Woman Who Who Stole the Show at Israel's Independence Day Ceremony
Marie Nachmias went up on stage to light a torch for Israel Independence Day. She did not speak, did not quote anybody, but simply said a prayer.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why Does Judaism Forbid Tattoos?
This prohibition applies to all tattoos besides those made for medical purposes . . .
Miscellaneous | Judaism
The Ark of the Covenant Explained
A golden box containing the tablets with the Ten Commandments, the ark stood in the Holy of Holies, the Temple’s innermost sanctum.
Miscellaneous | Torah
Rabbi Sacks: Why The Revelation at Mount Sinai Was the Creation of Freedom | Parshat Yitro
A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org. The revelation at Mount Sinai — the central episode not only of parshat Yitro, but …
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: The Consolations of Mortality
Before any of the deaths are mentioned we read about the strange ritual of the red heifer, which purified people who had been in contact with death – the archetypal source of impurity. That ritual, often deemed incomprehensible, is in fact deeply symbol
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Faith and Friendship - Covenant & Conversation - Parshah
After all that had happened – the miracles, the exodus, the division of the sea, food from heaven, water from a rock, the revelation at Sinai and the covenant that went with it – the people, yet again, were complaining about the food. And not because
Miscellaneous | Judaism
May I Join a Protest on Shabbat? - Questions & Answers
While an action may be halachically permitted, it may not be in keeping with the spirit of Shabbat and is therefore avoided.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Modern Technology Unlocks Secrets of a Damaged Biblical Scroll - The New York Times
Experts using a computer imaging program have virtually unwrapped a charred ancient scroll and recovered a fragment of the authoritative text of the Hebrew Bible.
History | Culture
Who Stood at Sinai? | Jlife
According to A midrash, “Every Jew who ever was, and ever will be born, stood together at Sinai when the mountain smoked and trembled and G-d revealed the law to them.” We assume that meant men, women and children. But not everyone sees it that way.
History | Culture
How to Grow A Mensch | Jlife
How do we grow a mensch? Inspire a generation of mensches? The Torah responds unequivocally: through education. We pass Jewish teachings from generation to generation to perpetuate a legacy of derech eretz, the value system that is imbued with Torah and secular education along with personal growth, self-discovery and insight into human relationships; values that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents modeled for generations.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why Is the World Blind?
Too many times over the last many weeks I felt like shouting, “Wake up, world! Can’t you see the difference between the good guys and the bad ones? Are you blind?!”
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Parshat Truma: Giving of ourselves
A person who gives of his strengths or of his money gives mainly of himself.
