Yesterday we were treated to a rare phenomenon, the eclipse of the sun. Scientists and laypeople alike were fascinated by the sudden visibility of the sun’s splendorous retina; the periphery that peeked out from around the moon’s perimeter.
The periphery is not usually visible because we are blinded by the sun’s …
Sunday: Oy Vey
“And it was when Pharaoh sent the nation.” The Hebrew word vayehi, “and it was” is, can be divided into two words. The last two letters spell G-d’s name and the first two letters spell the word Vey. In other words, G-d exclaimed, Oy Vey. Why would G-d express …
Shabbat and the King
The Shabbat before Passover is known as Shabbat Hagadol, the great Shabbat. Among the reasons for this name is that Passover is itself described in the Torah as Shababt, but it is not as restrictive as a full Shabbat – cooking for example is permissible on Passover …
A Unique Event
On Wednesday morning, April 8, 2009, Jews around the world recited a blessing over the sun that was last recited in twenty-eight years ago. This blessing is recited when the sun returns to its point of origin, where it was when it was first created. Though the sun …
These past two days have been the most difficult for our people in the last fifty years. It was Simchat Torah, a time for rejoicing, yet it was a time of horror. Nearly a thousand members of our family were brutally murdered, more than a hundred were taken hostage, and …
