Over the past week, we have seen anti-Israel college takeovers with protestors openly declaring their desire to kill Jews and to render Israel—from the river to the sea—Juden Rein. The brazen tactics and bullying have left many Jewish students and faculty members afraid to venture onto campus. As we approach …
Read the full story »A Testimony to G-d
The raw elements of the
universe that G-d created are for the most part non-utilitarian. G-d
created man and charged him with the responsibility of reshaping this
nature so that it would better provide for man’s needs.. From the
beginning of time men have struggled to manipulate the forces of
nature.
We …
The Highlight of the Jewish Week
“Six Days a week you shall
work and on the seventh day you rest”. Shabbos is a symbol of the
covenant between G-d and the Jewish nation. The covenant is enacted
through observing twenty-four hours of Shabbos rest (See section three)
For the Jew, Shabbos is a
day of complete …
Preparations
We often refer to the day of Shabbos as “Shabbos the queen” or “Shabbos the
bride”. The underlying message is that Shabbos is a distinguished guest whom we
are honored to welcome into our homes.
The preparations for this honored guest are very extensive. Shopping and
cooking usually begins two or three days before …
Shabbos Prohibitions
It would be far beyond the scope of this essay to do justice to the intricate details of the Shabbos prohibitions. However, we will attempt provide a general overview of the categories of Melacha (work) that is prohibited on Shabbos.
The written Torah does not clearly delineate the individual types …
Our sages have instituted many additional enactments that help safeguard the original thirty-nine Melachos. There are two forms of protective legislation that our sages have put into effect concerning the laws of Shabbos.
A. Safeguarding the laws of Shabbos.
The first form of legislation is one that safeguards the biblical prohibitions of …
Welcome to Innerstream's “Parsha insights” section, where essays on the weekly Parsha are posted.
If you would like to explore any of these essays please click on one of the links provided below and a list of Parshiot will appear in the “Contents” menu on the left side of your screen. …
The Sunset
Several years ago, I sat with my family at the shores of Lake Huron enjoying a picturesque sunset. The sun descended over the water in a spectacular ball of fire and painted the cloudless sky in deep hues of purple and red. Enchanted by the majesty of the moment, …
The Purim Ritual
Each Jewish holiday has a unique method of celebration. Chanukah is celebrated with the kindling of eight lights. Passover is celebrated with a special diet that requires Jews to eat unleavened bread and prohibits the use of leavened bread. Shavuot is observed through the study of Torah. Each …