Parshas Pekudei opens by referring to the mishkan as the mishkan ha eidus, the tabernacle of testimony, a term that had previously been reserved for the aron. Rashi explains that the use of this term is a reference to the testimony that Hashem has now overlooked the sin of the golden calf as evidenced by … More Pekudei – One at Heart

Prime Minister Netanyahu, with his keen sense of awareness of Jewish history invoked the Purim story to President Putin in order to enlist his support in stopping the military threat from Iran. Not surprisingly, Putin, a hard-nosed realist, rejected the comparison out of hand, saying that the events of 2,500 years ago have no bearing … More From Shushan to Tehram, via Moscow!

Unlike every other fast, this is one we are happy to bring forward when it should fall on Shabbos (like this year). Evidently, Taanis Esther isn’t a sad day, so what’s it all about? The Rambam draws a very clear distinction between Taanis Esther and the four fasts that commemorate the destruction of the Beis … More Taanis Esther – Why are we Fasting?

In this week’s sedra we are charged with building a place, a sacred space where Hashem’s presence could be felt and from where it could emanate. This will take us all the way until the end of Sefer Vayikra, with the remaining sedros in Shemos being the instructions of how to build the Mishkan and … More Teruma – Consecration and Closeness

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After last week’s light and sound show at Mount Sinai, it’s down to business. Rather than leaving Mount Sinai behind we take it with us, so to speak until the end of Sefer Shemos. This week’s parsha, Mishpatim elaborates on a number of laws, 53 to be precise, governing our day to day contact, all … More Mishpatim – A Question of Priorities

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As we lead up to the parsha of matan Torah there couldn’t be a greater contrast between the end of last week’s sedra and the beginning of this week’s. Last week we encountered our national nemesis Amalek for the first time and this week we meet the first ever convert to join the Bnei Yisrael, … More Yisro: Shine a Light

Freedom Doesn’t Come For Free   The Bnei Yisrael are free at last! Leaving the labour camps and ghettoes of Egypt behind them, they march triumphantly into the desert. It seems like they have the whole world at their feet as they advance to their destiny in the Promised Land. However from the opening lines … More Beshalach – Freedom Doesn’t Come for Free

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