How to Spread the Light of Torah to the World

by Rabbi Neriah Gutel and Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel

The translation of the Torah into Greek was mourned by the Rabbis. How, then, should we spread the light of Torah in the world? Rabbis Gutel and Zini respond.

Vayechi: Demystifying the Tribes of Israel

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

What are the individual contributions of each Hebrew tribe to Israel's national collective?

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (34.5 min)

10th of Tevet: The 3 Things To Remember

 by Rav Eliezer Melamed, yeshiva.co, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet (Asarah B'Tevet) is a unique one, in that even if it falls on Friday, Sabbath eve – as it does this year, this week – it still applies in full force. This is the only national fast that can be broken by the recitation of Kiddush on Friday night!

What is the fast about?

Vayigash: Recognizing Yosef In Our Time

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Did Yosef use the famine to bring his family down to Egypt in hopes of implementing an alternative approach to the Hebrew mission in the Diaspora?

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (25 min)

Miketz: Egypt's Hebrew Viceroy

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Did Yosef seek to transform Egypt into a civilization built on Hebrew values that would correct humankind?

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (23.5 min)

Thoughts For Hanukka's Final Hours

By Rav Yosi Yazdi, translated by Hillel Fendel

This year's Shabbat-Hanukka Torah portion was not Parashat Miketz, for a change, but was rather the one before it, Parashat Vayeshev. Vayeshev ends with "forgetting" – the Minister of Drinks totally forgot Yosef, the man who had just successfully interpreted his dream for him – while Miketz begins with the topic of "remembrance." That is, King Pharoah has a troublesome double-dream, which leads the Minister of Drinks to finally remember Yosef, who was then rushed to the royal palace to interpret the king's dream – and the rest is history. 

But there is another allusion to remembrance in the beginning of Miketz. The Sage Chaim Menashe, of holy blessed memory, in his work Ahavat Chaim explains: "Miketz, spelled mem-kuf-tzadi, is an acronym for the three questions that a person is asked when he appears before the Heavenly Tribunal: "Did you engage in business dealings (masa v'matan) – in good faith and integrity? Did you set time (k'viut) for Torah study? Did you anticipate and look forward to Israel's Redemption (tzipita liy'shuah)?" 

Reflections On The "Selfie"

By Rabbi Haggai Londin, translated by Hillel Fendel

In our current-day world of unprecedented economic plenty, the pinnacle of human aspiration has shifted to the pursuit of recognition and publicity. Just before we click on the "share" button yet again and become part of this nightmarish cycle, let us consider the significance of our actions in the world of social networks. 

Let's start with a small social experiment. Ask a typical teenage girl: "Who is the wealthiest woman in the country?" She is not likely to know. Then ask her this: "Who is the top female singer or actress?" You will undoubtedly receive an immediate answer (even if it is wrong). This trivial experiment proves that the rules have changed: Goodbye money, hello publicity and image.

Miketz: Diaspora Is Affliction (Even When You're Rich)

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon explains why Yosef referred to Egypt as the "land of my affliction" even when he was one of the most powerful and wealthy individuals living there. (Hint: It's connected to the fact that Egypt is not Israel)

[4-minute video] 

Vayeshev: Yosef and Yehuda

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

As internal conflict over the Hebew clan's direction leads to tragic consequences for Yosef and Yehuda, each must discover his own messianic potential.

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (33.5 min)

Hannuka: A Religious or National Holiday?

by Rav Yosef Carmel

Is Hannuka a religious holiday, on which the Nation of Israel commemorates its religious victory over Greek paganism? Or is it a national holiday, celebrating our military defeat of Greek expansionism in the Land of Israel?

This question has echoed in the public Jewish debate over Hannuka for many generations – and ever since the national awakening of the Jewish People and the founding of the modern-day political Zionist movement, the issue has become a basic staple of Hannuka discussions.

The question may be put this way: How do we look at the beautiful Hannuka candles? If national might is the main point, then the pure flame of the lights emanating from each house signify the military victory that brought about our independence for some 200 years. Alternatively, if the fact that we were able to continue observing the Sabbath and studying Torah is primary, then we see in the candles the purification of the Holy Temple, as well as the victory of the "pure" over the "impure" and the renewal of the sacrificial service.

Our sources appear to emphasize both.

The Talmud states as follows (Tractate Shabbat, 21b):

"What is Hannuka? The Rabbis taught [in Megillat Taanit] that beginning on the 25^th day of Kislev are eight [festive] days of Hannuka … for when the Greeks burst into the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils there; when the Hasmonean Dynasty later overcame and defeated them, they checked and found just one flask of [pure] oil, sealed with the seal of the High Priest – which held enough to light the Menorah in the Temple for only one day. [They lit it] and a miracle occurred, enabling them to light for eight days. The next year, they made these days into a festival of praise and thanksgiving."

This passage makes no mention at all of the military victory or the national independence that occurred!

On the other hand, in the Al HaNissim prayer that we recite in the Sh'moneh Esrei on Hannuka, we find a strong emphasis on the military success of "the few against the many, the weak against the strong." The miracle of the flask of oil is not mentioned there at all! We do mention the renewal of the Temple service, but only as a result of the military victory.

This discussion then raises another question: What is the role and place of the Beit HaMikdash, for whose rebuilding we pine, in the individual lives of Jews, and in our national life in general?

It could be, on first glance, that the Holy Temple is simply a synagogue on a large scale. That is, our synagogues are a mikdash me'at, a "little Sanctuary," and the Holy Temple is a "large Sanctuary." As such, just as the synagogue is a religious site where we serve G-d via prayer, the Temple is where we serve G-d via the sacrificial offerings. Sounds somewhat technical…

And even if we raise the ante and say that it is where the Divine Presence dwells, it can still be claimed that the offering of sacrifices is a necessary condition for the Divine Presence (see the Meshekh Chokhmah's introduction to Vayikra) – meaning, once again, that the Holy Temple is a place for sacrifices, which is simply a "religious" matter.

But let's see what the Rambam says about Hannuka:

"In the times of the Second Temple, the Greek kingdom issued decrees against the Jewish People, attempting to nullify their religion and forbidding them from observing the Torah and its commandments. They stretched out their hands against their property and their daughters; they entered the Sanctuary, wrought havoc within, and defiled the holies. The Jews suffered greatly under the Greeks, for they oppressed them greatly - until the G-d of our fathers had mercy upon them and saved them from Greek rule. The sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame them, slew them, and saved the Jews. They then appointed a king from the priests - and sovereignty returned to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple."

We must ascertain the source the Rambam found for this explanation – for after all, neither in our prayers nor in the Talmud do we find Hannuka presented this way.

The answer is that the Beit HaMikdash is, in fact, more than just a "religious" site. It is a national symbol that represents all of Israel, united around faith in G-d, and thereby also in belief in His Torah and the commandments. A situation in which the Beit HaMikdash is under foreign rule is very far from the ideal.

This is why the commandment to build the Holy Temple is not incumbent upon individual Jews, but upon the Jewish Nation as a whole. This is one of the commandments that we are commanded only as a free Nation in our Land – and an independent state dwelling securely in Eretz Yisrael.

As we read in the Torah:

"You shall cross the Jordan and settle in the land your G-d is giving you – and He will give you rest from all your enemies surrounding you, and you will dwell securely.

And the place that your God will choose in which to establish His Name, there you shall bring … [all] your sacrifices…" (D'varim 12,10-11)

So also did King David understand, as is written:

It came to pass that David sat in his house, and G-d gave him rest from all his enemies around him. King David said to Natan the Prophet, "See how I dwell in a cedar house, and G-d's ark is sitting in a tent…" (Shmuel II 7,1-2)

We thus see that the Beit HaMikdash is a very national matter, not merely ritualistic. Israel's prayers throughout the generations for the renewal of the Temple service in Jerusalem are at the same time, also prayers for the rebuilding of the Nation in its Land. These two aspects – religious and national – cannot be separated. This is why our joy and thanks on Hannuka are for the return of Jewish rule, which in turn enabled the miracle of the flask of oil.

Let us pray that we will soon merit the combination of national strength, working together in tandem with worthy spiritual leadership, on behalf of the rebuilding of a truly complete spiritual national home.

Vayishlah: Finally Becoming Israel

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

What caused Yaakov to believe that he would find an appropriate husband for Dina in Shkhem?

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (24 min)

Galut & Geula, Part 7

The Surest Sign of Redemption

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

[To read Part 6, click here.]

In the Gemara, in tractate Sanhedrin, there is a teaching concerning the end of the exile:

“Rabbi Abba states: There is no greater sign of the revealed end of the exile than this, as it says, ‘And you O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My People, for they will soon be coming.’”

Rabbi Abba informs us that the end of the exile will be revealed in a way that everyone will see it – “There is no greater sign of the end of the exile than this.” What is this sign?  “And you O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My People.” Rashi explains: “When Eretz Yisrael gives forth her fruits in abundance, then the end of exile is near, and there is no sign more revealed than this” (Sanhedrin 98A).

This teaching of Rabbi Abba needs some explanation. In describing the visible sign which marks the end of the exile, Rabbi Abba cites a verse without explaining anything further. Why did Rabbi Abba choose a verse about the fruit trees of Israel, and not something more spiritual? Why not say that everyone will recognize the end of the exile when the world is finally perfected; or when everyone will follow the Torah and its commandments; or when the Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt; or when there will be peace in Israel?

Vayeitze: Yaakov's Struggle to Become Israel

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Before becoming Israel, Yaakov had to first spend several years in exile learning to be more like Esav.

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (31 min)

Galut & Geula, Part 6 of 8

 The Holiness of Medinat Yisrael

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

[To read Part 5, click here.]

At the time of the Torah giant, the Gaon of Vilna, the Jewish People had managed to survive 1,500 years of exile without the living Soul of the Nation shining in our midst. Except for the great Torah giants of each generation, the Jewish People in exile don’t recognize this living Clalli soul, or experience its powerful influence, and the life of the exiled Jew revolves around the private side of life and one’s family and personal affairs. How then, in this moribund, truncated state, is it possible to encounter the highly energized level of national life infused with Divine vitality that more truly characterizes Am Yisrael in its Land? How is it possible to identify the sparks of Geula if one is totally alienated and disconnected from this transcendental level of existence?

Toldot: The Prophetic Destiny of Rivka's Twins

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

How do the personal traits of Esav and Yaakov find expression in the rival civilizations they produced?

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (19 min)

Galut & Geula, Part 5 of 8

The Holy Soul of Zionism

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

[To read Part 4, click here.]

Our last few essays have dealt with the vast difference between Jewish life in the exile and Jewish life in the Land of Israel, as the Jewish People rise from the “dry bones” of Galut to mega-powered nationhood in the Promised Land. The ideas we have presented are indeed very deep, requiring a penetrating understanding of Torah, which the great Sages of Israel have illuminated for us throughout history, reminding us that the Torah is far broader than the “four cubits of halacha” which exist in the exile. True Judaism, the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, is a national Torah. At the time of Redemption, our learning demands deeper insights, and the realization that Judaism is far more than performing individual commandments like kashrut, tefillin, and Shabbat in alien, gentile lands.

In the light of the matters we have explained, let’s return and examine the history of Zionism beginning with the period of the “Enlightenment.” Once again, we will quote freely from Rabbi Moshe Bleicher’s book, “Binyan Emunah.”

Hayei Sarah: Insights into Avraham and Sarah

 by Rav Zalman Melamed, yeshiva.co

This week's Torah portion of Chaye Sarah begins with a detailed accounting of the days of the Matriarch Sarah's life: "And Sarah's life was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years – the years of Sarah's life" (B'reshit 23,1). Asks the Zohar: Why does Sarah, of all the women in the Torah, merit to have her years counted? We don't hear how many years Eve lived, nor Moshe's sister Miriam, nor the other Matriarchs – so why only Sarah? What is special about her?

Hayei Sarah: Sarah's Victory

 by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Following her death, Sarah's powerful legacy continued to influence Avraham and play a major role in their family's development into a nation.

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (16.5 min)

Galut & Geula, Part 4 of 8

Are you Yearning for Salvation?

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

 [To read Part 3, click here.]

In our last few essays concerning the difference between Galut and Geula, we learned that when Am Yisrael is exiled, its national, Clalli soul is drawn up to Heaven by G-d, so that it won’t become polluted by the impure forces and husks (kleipot) that hold sway outside of the Land of Israel. Not only are the Jewish People in exile, the Shekinah (Divine Presence) is in exile as well. In this situation of exile and national destruction, the Divine National Soul which invigorates the life of the Nation no longer pulses within us, and, according to the Prophets and Sages of Israel, we become like corpses in a graveyard, like dry bones lacking life.

Galut & Geula, Part 3 of 8

Why Mourn About Exile?

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

 [To read Part 1, click here.]

The Maharal of Prague is universally recognized as one of our greatest Sages. In his famous book, “Netzach Yisrael,” he explains that Jewish life outside of the Land of Israel is a temporary and unnatural situation of exile that has no value in and of itself, but which is rather only a state of waiting, anticipation, and preparation to return to the Land of Israel (“Netzach Yisrael,” Ch.1).

Vayeira: Sarah’s Role In The Hebrew Mission

 by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

What challenges was the matriarch Sarah forced to overcome in order to play her part in establishing the Hebrew nation with Avraham?

Listen to the audio here (21 min)

Lekh Lekha: Get Thee Forth To America!

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

Isn’t it interesting that the very first words that G-d says to Avraham, the father of the Jewish People, is to go to the Land of Israel?

What are we supposed to learn from this? Can there be any question at all? One plus one is two, and two plus two is four. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out a simple equation like that. In Hashem’s Great Plan of Existence, the Jews and the Land of Israel were created for one another.

Lekh Lekha: From Avram to Avraham

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

How the leader of a universal spiritual movement learned to reorient himself to the understanding that his goals for humanity could only be achieved through the vehicle of a nation in a specific land.

Listen to the audio here (18 min)

Galut & Geula, Part 2 of 8

Scattered Limbs Without a Soul

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il 

[To read Part 1, click here.]

In our previous article, we began to explain the need for a deeper comprehension of Emunah (Faith) and Torah, in order to understand the rebirth of the Nation of Israel in our time. This deeper learning has the power to lift ourselves up to a higher level of existence – the transition from Galut to Geula, from a grave-like existence of dry scattered bones in gentile lands, to our full revitalized life of being a united body and sovereign Nation in our own Land.

Galut & Geula, Part 1 of 8

The Exile is the Valley of Dry Bones

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

In order to understand the centrality of the Land of Israel to a full Jewish life, it is necessary to recognize the very real differences between life in Israel and life in the Diaspora. This subject was not explored in depth during our nearly two-thousand years of exile, during which Jewish learning focused primarily on the commandments and laws which could be practiced in the Diaspora. Therefore, we will try in this eight-part series, “Galut and Geula,” to shed light on the very real differences between Exile and Redemption (Galut and Geula), as illuminated in the writings of the Prophets of Israel and Sages versed in the inner secrets of Torah. In doing so, we will rely heavily on the explanations found in the book, “Binyan Emunah,” by Rabbi Moshe Bleicher, a longtime student at the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and the founder and spiritual leader of the Shavei Hevron Yeshiva in the City of the Patriarchs.

Noah: Understanding the Flood

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Why does the Torah use the Name that connotes Divine mercy rather than Divine judgement when telling of the Creator's decision to destroy humankind? Could there be more to the story?

Listen to the audio here (16.5 min)

The New Moon & The Power of Israel

by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, Rosh Yeshivat Bet El, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

This is the power of the Nation of Israel: Via its rabbinical judges, it can determine the actual date, and therefore when Passover and Yom Kippur, for example, are to be commemorated.

Days of Mashiach: A Short Story

[Revised Corona-version taken from the book of short stories, “Days of Mashiach” by Tzvi Fishman.] 

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

Even before the jumbo jet came to a stop on the runway, Dr. Elliot Miller unfastened his seat belt and jumped up from his seat.

“Where are you going?” his wife, Sandra, asked.

“I want to be the first one off the plane,” he replied, pulling his carry-on down from the overhead rack.

“Please remain seated until the aircraft comes to a complete stop,” the voice over the loudspeaker commanded.

Though the doctor normally respected regulations and rules, his excitement overcame him completely. He pushed forward down the aisle like a sprinter determined to win the race. To please his wife, they had remained in America as long as they could, miraculously surviving the Corona plague and pogroms against the Jews. But now the ingathering of the exiles was ending, and they were among the last Jews to come home.

“The Land of Israel!” he thought to himself. “Thank God, I finally made it!”

Using his elbows and shoulders, he fought his way to the front of the cabin.

“I’m a doctor,” he said, when other passengers protested.

In truth, there were over one-hundred doctors on the planeload of affluent Jews, but the other new immigrants bought the excuse, figuring there must be some kind of emergency.

Simhat Torah: Never-Endings & New Beginnings

 by Rav Berel Wein, www.rabbiwein.com

The completion of any significant portion of Torah learning is always an occasion for Jewish celebration. Any siyum (a completion of a tractate of Talmud or Mishna) is usually accompanied by a feast to help commemorate the happy event. There is a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at having seen a difficult intellectual and time consuming task to its successful conclusion.

So it is naturally understandable that the occasion of our completing the annual cycle of Torah readings with the reading of V’zot Habracha on the final day of the Succot holiday makes it the most joyful day of the entire magnificent holiday season of the month of Tishrei. Simchat Torah affirms our faith in Jewish continuity and our unshakable belief in the divinity of Torah that Moshe brought to Israel from Mount Sinai.

It is the holiday basically created by the Jewish people itself, replete with customs and nuances developed over the ages that have hardened into accepted practice and ritual. Here in Israel when Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret occur simultaneously on the same day, Simchat Torah, the folk holiday, has almost pushed Shmini Atzeret, the biblical and halachic holiday aside in thought and practice.

V'Zot HaBrakha: How To Be Blessed With Abundance

by Baruch Gordon

In the last Torah reading of the yearly cycle, V'Zot HaBrakha, Baruch Gordon explains the special brakha given to the descendants of Joseph in their tribal territory  in the Land of Israel - and how we too can receive that blessing even today.

[3-minute video] 

V'Zot HaBrakha: Our Shared National Soul

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

The Torah is not merely some disjointed ritual precepts but rather the Divine Ideal from before existence placed into this reality for the sake of elevating our world beyond its current limitations.

The *State* of Israel is a Torah Commandment!

by Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

The Torah states again and again and again that G-d wants the Jews to live in Israel. So how can it be that some confused Jews think the very opposite, believing they are following the Torah by living in gentile lands, and that Medinat Yisrael is the worst exile ever?

Sukkot: Reducing Societal Gaps

 by Rav Eliezer Melamed, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel

"One must be joyous and of good heart on the Festivals," rules the Shulchan Arukh (O.C. 529,2), "he, and his wife, and all in his household. How so? He should give the children candies and nuts, and should buy clothing and jewelry for the women, to the best of his financial ability." The men themselves should "feast on meat and wine," as was the custom.

The above recommendations are just examples, but actually anything that brings joy comprises the mitzvah of joy on the holiday. Each person should know how to gladden those around him.

Not only his family, but also – especially – those who are poor or otherwise suffering should be in his sights, and he must do what we can to gladden them, particularly on the Festivals. This is stated outright in the Torah: "You shall rejoice on your Festival – you, and your son, and your servants, and the Levites, sojourners, orphans and widows in your midst" (D'varim 16,14).

The Rambam sums up: "… But he who locks the gates of his yard and eats and drinks with his family and does not share with the poor and downtrodden – this is not Torah-mandated joy, but rather happiness only of his own stomach… This type of happiness is a disgrace, as is written in the Book of the Prophet Malachi …"

Sukkot: T'shuva and Gog U'Magog

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Unlike most of the festivals on the Hebrew calendar, Sukkot commemorates an event that takes place in the future but has ramifications for the present.

LISTEN TO AUDIO CLASS HERE (24.5 min)

Ha'azinu: Jump at the Israel Opportunity

by Baruch Gordon

In this week's Torah reading Ha'azinu, Baruch Gordon answers the question, "If Moshe didn't merit to enter the Land of Israel, why should we?"

[3.5-minute video]

Yom Kippur: Finding Life's Purpose

by Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

By plugging into the expanded consciousness of Yom Kippur through the proper thoughts, acts & tefillot prescribed for the day, we can receive & be transformed by the day’s all encompassing light.

Q&A: How Can I Improve My Spouse?

Q. My husband doesn't want to put on tefillin! We are traditional family, we observe kashrut, we make Kiddush and don't use electricity on Shabbat, and we try to keep what we can. My husband comes from an anti-religious family, and it took me a long time to help him overcome the obstacles and agree to build a traditional home. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to convince him to wear tefillin. Do you have an idea how I can help him to want to do so?

Ha'azinu: The Song of History

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Human history – like any great piece of literature – presents a story that is not only inspiring and dramatic on the surface but also allegorically rich with hidden meaning and deep moral lessons.

Q&A: I Come From a Secular Home - How Do I Do Teshuva?

Q. I have been "getting stronger" in Judaism for awhile now, and I would like to become fully observant. But my problem is that I come from a secular home, in which the only commandments and traditions that are observed are Friday night Kiddush and candle lighting.

My main problem is on Shabbat. How am I supposed to keep Shabbat, when my whole family doesn't?

And another question: How do I do teshuva and become fully observant? Aside from observing Shabbat, wearing a kippa and tzitzit, and some other basic mitzvot, is there some kind of process that I must do? Perhaps there are other mitzvot that I must observe that I don't know about?

Rosh Hashana: The Reason For Symbolic Foods

by Rav Ezra Kohen, originally published on yeshiva.co, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

Beyond their taste, eating symbolic foods such as apples, pomegranates, carrots, and beets on Rosh Hashana have a special meaning.

Rosh Hashana: The Deep Meanings of the Shofar

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Man’s universal recognition of HaShem as the timeless ultimate Reality without end is achieved through the story of the Jewish people and the fulfillment of Israel’s historic mission. 

Personal Fulfillment Via Aliyah

 by Rabbi Berel Wein, bringthemhome.org.il

Rabbi Berel Wein discusses the personal sense of spiritual fulfillment one receives when making Aliyah.

[6m video]

Nitzavim: Playing an Active Role in History

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon looks into this week's Torah reading Nitzavim to understand the principle of mutual responsibility and what its laws say about the importance of the Land of Israel to the existence of the Jewish nation.

[2.5-minute video]

Vayeilekh: All Jews are *Only* Israeli

 by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Although he had been raised in Pharaoh’s palace and had never in his life actually seen Eretz Yisrael, Moshe was held accountable for allowing himself to be referred to by others as “an Egyptian man.”

Nitzavim: Jewish Nationalism *is* T'Shuva

 by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

More than merely fostering personal piety among Jews, tshuva that begins with a reawakening of Hebrew identity will lead Israel to express kedusha in every sphere of national life.

Leaving the Land of Israel

 by Rav Tzvi Fishman, https://bringthemhome.org.il

One way of understanding the vital importance of Eretz Yisrael to Jewish life is through the prohibition to leave it. When a Jew leaves the Land of Israel, it is as if he or she is turning their backs on the Shechinah and the Holy One Himself, as our Sages have stated: “A person who lives in Eretz Yisrael is like someone who has a G-d, and a person who lives outside of the Land is like someone who has no G-d, and is considered like someone who worships idols,” (Ketubot 110B).

Ki Tavo: Don't Get Too Comfy in Diaspora

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon looks at a commentary on a very unique commandment found in this week's Torah reading Ki Tavo.

[3-minute video]

Ki Tavo: The Torah Is a National Precept

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

The performance of our Torah's ritual precepts must be contextualized & experienced within the larger meta-narrative of Israel's story & mission.

Q&A: How Can HaShem Judge Us for Sinning When He Created Us Imperfect?

Q. Every year on Yom Kippur we ask the Holy One Blessed be He for forgiveness for not walking on the straight path in the previous year and we thank Him for being merciful and gracious, and for forgiving us for no other reason because we actually don't deserve it.

My question is this - HaShem created us lacking, and moreover, we can never be perfect, we can only progress and be better human beings. So how can HaShem, so to say, be angry at us for sinning? And how could He not forgive us if He made us like that?

And if He really does need to forgive us, then why do we admire the fact that He forgives us, and praise Him and thank Him for the immense kindness He does for us year after year?

Q&A: How Can We Take Advantage of Elul?

Q. How can we take advantage of Elul and not "fall" into the High Holidays each year?

Eretz Yisrael & the Secrets of Torah

 By Rav Tzvi Fishman, bringthemhome.org.il

If it is so obvious from a simple, straightforward reading of the Torah that G-d wants the Jewish People to live in the Land of Israel, why are so many Jews still living in foreign lands? Rabbi Chaim Vital, the foremost student of the Arizal, writes in his preface to “Etz HaChaim,” that the prolongation of the exile and its tribulations stem from the sorrowful fact that the secrets of Torah have been neglected from our learning.  In a similar light, Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook writes that due to an alienation from the secrets of Torah, the supreme importance of a Jew’s connection to Eretz Yisrael is not properly understood. In his classic treatise, “Orot,” he bases his deep insights into the renaissance of the Jewish nation in Eretz Yisrael on the esoteric teachings of the Arizal and the holy Zohar, dressing up concepts of Kabbalah in the language of Israel’s gradually developing nationhood and rebirth. He writes:

Ki Tetzei: Humble the Human Intellect

 by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Israel’s Torah is not some man-made 'religion' but actually the Divine Ideal implanted into our world for the purpose of uplifting all Creation through the sanctification of every area of human existence.