Hebrew Culture, History and Heritage

The day after ‘Rosh Ha-Shanah’ is known in the Jewish tradition as ‘Tzom Gedaliah'{צום גדליה} which means ‘The Fast of

One of the most important and well-known Hebrew prayers is Shema Yisrael {שמע ישראל} ( Hear, O Israel ). This

Today we will continue with ‘Ma’ase Bereshit’  {מעשה בראשית} – Hebrew for ‘the act of the Creation of the world’

At the beginning of the second chapter of Genesis, the Bible gives us a short review of the creation: “These

  ‘Parashat Balak’ {פרשת בלק} – the weekly Torah portion of ‘Balak’ – refers to the story of the King

One of the biggest problems of the different Bible translations in general, and the English translation in particular, is the

The heavenly bread that the Children of Israel ate in the desert is better known by its other name “manna.” In

Today is the 10th of the Hebrew month of “Tevet” {טבת}. It is one of the six fast days in

Today we will talk a bit about the geography of the Holy Land, as can be found in our weekly

  Yesterday we talked a bit about the original Hebrew meaning of the word ‘Nachash’ {נחש}  which was translated to English

  The last issue we addressed last week was regarding the creation of ‘the two great lights’ as can be

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Tzav” {צו} (‘command’ in Hebrew) – which is the second “parasha” in the

On last Saturday’s post we discussed the transition from a “family” to a “people.” In Genesis, we learned about a family

Today we will discuss an ancient biblical people who were known as the ‘Rephaim’ and were mentioned in Moses’ speech

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Va-Yelech’ {וילך} (Hebrew for ’Then He Went’). This is the ninth ‘Parashah’ in the

A few days ago, we discussed the Hebrew meaning of the well-known biblical figure of speech ‘let us make man in

After the initial census of the people of Israel ended and before the Bible describes how the different tribes camped

  Chapter 23 of the Book of Leviticus provides descriptions of the different holidays in the biblical calendar. In this

When God spoke to Moses, before sending him to stand in front of Pharaoh, He told him to tell the

As we mentioned here before the ‘Feast of Sukkot’ is celebrated for SEVEN days and is the LAST day of

In the weekly Torah portion, we can find the following interesting phrase: “But the LORD has taken you and brought

Following Adam and Eve’s sin, God punished them. In this post, I would like to focus on Adam and Eve’s

Yesterday’s Parasha {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) was ‘Va-Yishlach’ {וישלח} (Hebrew for ‘and he sent’). This is the eighth weekly Torah portion

The priestly blessing is one of the most well-known biblical texts. Let’s have a look at it: “The LORD spoke

As we mentioned before, our weekly Torah portion lays out some of the most basic moral codes and describes the

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה}(weekly Torah portion) is “Beshalach”{בשלח} -Hebrew for “when he let go.” It is the fourth “parasha” from the Book

Today is Tishah Be-Av {תשעה באב}, which is the ninth day in the Hebrew month of Av. The day the

Chapter 13 of the Book of Deuteronomy opens with the following words: “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams

Following the initial discussion about the Hebrew meaning of Cain and Abel’s names, in this post I would like to

The story of the war between the Israelites and the Midianites is one of the main issues of the weekly

One of the characteristics of the Book of Leviticus is the laying out of laws and regulations with regard to

Today’s “parasha” }פרשה}(weekly Torah portion) is ” Terumah” {תרומה} – which is the seventh “parasha” in the Book of Exodus and

Yesterday we talked about the inheritance rights of the firstborn. Today we will continue with next issue concerning having a

Today’s Parasha {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Va-Yetze’ {ויצא} (Hebrew for ‘and he left’). This is the seventh weekly Torah portion

“Vayigash” {ויגש} (Hebrew for “and he drew near”) is the eleventh weekly Torah portion (parashah {פרשה}) in the annual Jewish

The weekly Torah portion begins with the following verses: “And the LORD said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar,

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Shemini” {שמיני} (‘eighth’ in Hebrew) – which is the third “parasha” in the

After the people of Israel had increased greatly in numbers in Egypt, Pharaoh decided to oppress them: ” Therefore they

Today in the evening begins ‘Yom Ha-Zikaron’ {יום הזכרון} – Israel’s official Memorial Day (it literally means ‘Remembrance Day’ in

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Va-Etchanan’ {ואתחנן} (Hebrew for ‘and I pleaded’). This is the second ‘Parashah’ in the

In the previous post, we discussed in detail Cain’s rather ‘odd’ reply to God when God asked him the whereabouts

After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and

Even though our weekly Torah portion is named after Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab, the main

The Hebrew words “Urim” and “Thummim” have a couple of meanings. ‘Urim’ comes from the Hebrew word for ‘light’ (‘Or’)

When Pharaoh finally let the Children of Israel go from Egypt, he suddenly decided to change his mind and sent

The main ‘Mitzvah’ {מצווה} (commandment) of the ‘Feast of Sukkot’ is to of course be inside of the ‘Sukkah.’ {סוכה}

The weekly Torah portion describes the inheritance rights of the firstborn: “If a man has two wives, the one loved

Within the biblical description of the Garden of Eden, one can find the following words: “The LORD God took the man

Yesterday we mentioned the two different censuses held in the desert. We finished with a reference to Korah’s rebellion and

When looking closely at the biblical passages speaking about the holy days, it appears there is one phrase that keeps

  The central theme of “Parshat Yitro” {פרשת יתרו} (last week’s Torah portion) is the receiving of the Ten Commandments

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה}(weekly Torah portion) is ‘Shofetim’ {שופטים} (Hebrew for ‘Judges’). This is the fifth ‘Parashah’ in the Book of

  In the last week, we have dealt with the creation of man and especially with the well-known biblical verse: “Then

When one takes a closer look at what is written in the Bible about the second day of Creation, an

Today’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Korach’ {קורח} (named after the biblical figure ‘Korah’). This is the fifth ‘Parashah’

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Emor” {אמור}(‘speak’ or ‘say’ in Hebrew) – which is the eighth “parasha” in

The story beyond the verse: “You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear

Today – by the Hebrew calendar – 51 years ago, the Old City of Jerusalem (and other parts of the

Even though the Hebrew meaning of the word ‘Torah’ is ‘teaching,’ the Hebrew verb for ‘teaching’ (‘Melamed’ ‘מלמד’) will make its

The famous biblical story of Cain and Abel is found in the fourth chapter of the Book of Genesis. Today I

Yesterday we discussed the Hebrew meaning of the first two rivers found in the Garden of Eden – ‘Pishon’ and

Today’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Shlach Lecha’ {שלח לך} (‘send to you’ or ‘send to yourself’). This is

Betzalel Ben Uri (Hebrew for Betzalel, the son of Uri) or simply Betzalel became well known because he was the

In yesterday’s post we discussed Jethro’s visit to Moses. At the end of this visit, the Bible tells us about the

Today is the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar {אדר} (the twelfth and last month in the Hebrew calendar).

One of the main issues of the weekly Torah portion is law and justice. In fact, the motif of justice

Receiving over the years countless commentator’s perspectives, interpretations and translations, the story of Adam and Eve’s sin is probably one

One of the issues of our weekly Torah portion is the war between the Israelites and Midianites. The most well-known

The concept of fire is the main characteristic of ‘Korban O’lah’ {קרבן עולה} (Hebrew for ‘burnt offering’). Let’s have a look

Yesterday we began a short series of three posts about the special qualities of Betzalel, the chief artisan of the

After the Bible tells us about the new Tablets of Stones with God’s Commandments Moses has made, an interesting verse

Cain’s famous brother was Abel. The Bible tell us that Abel was born after Cain; and unlike the latter, the

Today’s Parasha {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is’Va-Yera’ {וירא} (Hebrew for ‘and He appeared’). This is the fourth weekly Torah portion from

  Before the Torah is read at the synagogue, there is a ritual of opening the ‘Torah ark’ and leading

The Hebrew root O-L-H (or A-L-H) {ע-ל-ה} means ‘to go up’ or ‘to ascend’ and some of you probably know

A couple of days ago I received a really good question from one of the page readers. After watching the

Beginning this evening, Jewish people from around the globe will gather their loved ones and celebrate ‘Pesach’ {פסח} which is

  “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments

During the last two days we discussed in detail the first verse of the Hebrew Bible: ‘In the beginning, God

The Bible tells us in the second chapter of the Book of Genesis about the river which flowed out of the

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashot’ (weekly Torah portions) are ‘Matot’ {מטות} (Hebrew for ‘tribes’) and ‘Masei’ {מסעי} (Hebrew for ‘journeys’). Both together comprise

One specific extraordinary thing which characterized the Ten Plagues of Egypt was the creation effect on them. Darkness was the

  As mentioned in the post of “Parashat Shemot” {פרשת שמות} (the first weekly Torah portion of the Book of

Tomorrow we will commemorate ‘Tishah Be-Av’ {תשעה באב} – Hebrew for ninth of the month of Av – which is

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Re’eh’ (Hebrew for ‘see’). This is the fourth ‘Parashah’ in the Book of Deuteronomy

The famous story of Cain and Abel eventually ended with the killing of Abel by his brother Cain. Here is

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall

Today we will continue talking about the ‘Korbanot’ {קרבנות}(Hebrew for ‘sacrifices’) and now we  {קרבנות תודה} will discuss ‘Koraban Toda’.

  Today’s “parasha”{פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Mishpatim” {משפטים} – which is the sixth “parasha” of the Book of Exodus

Yesterday we mentioned the following verse from the opening of the Book of Deuteronomy: “Beyond the Jordan, in the land of

Yesterday we talked about the creation of the ‘seas’ and the Genesis line listing ‘opposite couples.’ This means the ‘earth’

  In the second chapter of the Book of Genesis, there appears for the first time a reference about the

Just before the people of Israel left Mount Sinai, the following dialogue between Moses and Jethro took place: “And Moses

In Judaism, the status of the synagogue is like a ‘little Temple’ (‘Mikdash Me’at’  {מקדש מעט} in Hebrew) and it

We all know this well-known story from the Book of Exodus: “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went

Passover is a holiday of many names; one of them is ‘Chag Ha-Che’rut’ {חג החרות} which is Hebrew for ‘the

Yesterday we talked about the ancient nation of giants – the Rephaim (רפאים). The discussion about the Rephaim opens a window

Last time we spoke about the ‘expanse’ or the ‘firmament’ as described in the first chapter of Genesis: “And God

The third chapter of the Book of Genesis tells the story of the sin of the Garden of Eden. It opens

Right at the beginning of the Book of Numbers, a census of the people of Israel was held: “The LORD

Last week, we finished reading the Book of Genesis and today we start with the Book of Exodus. The first “parasha”

One of the most sacred garments which became a symbol of the High Priest in the Temple was the Holy

The days between ‘Rosh Ha-Shanah’ (the Jewish New Year) and ‘Yom Kippur’ are called in Hebrew ‘Aseret Yemei Teshuvah’ {עשרת

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Ki Tavo’ {כי תבוא} (Hebrew for ‘when you come’). This is the seventh ‘Parashah’

On the third day, right after the creation of the ‘earth and ‘seas,’ the vegetation was created: “And God said,

One of the very first issues that the Book of Numbers deals with is the Levites and what they should do

Today we continue with the posts about the ‘Korbanot’ {קרבנות} (Hebrew for sacrifices) and will discuss ‘Korban Chata’at.{קרבן חטאת} The

When we first started discussing the Book of Exodus, I mentioned that a new phase of history had begun! The Children

Every year, right after the national Memorial Day, the state of Israel celebrates its independence. In Hebrew, this day is

“A land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.” (Deuteronomy 8:9) The original Hebrew

On the third day of the creation, God made the earth and the seas as recorded in the Book of

Yesterday we discussed the first out of the two special trees that were planted in the Garden of Eden: the

Yesterday’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) was ‘Naso'{נשא} (‘take’ or ‘carry’). This is the second ‘Parashah’ in the Book of Numbers

Our weekly Torah portion, as well as major parts of the Book of Leviticus, is concerned with the laws of

One of the things that the pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle had in common is the full detailed instructions

Today is ‘Rosh Chodesh’ {ראש חודש}  (‘head of the month’ in Hebrew, meaning the beginning of the month) of the

The famous Seven Species that the Land of Israel was blessed with perpetually are mentioned in our weekly Torah portion: “For

Some of the comments I received about yesterday’s post pointed out that it seemed like I ‘stopped in the middle’ and there

On the fourth day of the Creation week, which is called in Hebrew ‘Yom Reviei’ {יום רביעי} (Wednesday), God created the

Nachshon Ben Aminadav {נחשון בן עמינדב}  was one of the leaders of the Judah tribe during the time of the

Today’s “parasha”{פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Yitro” {יתרו} – which is the Hebrew name of Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law). It is

When Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh and performed the miracles God commanded them to do, it is written that Pharaoh’s

‘Chol Ha-Moed’ {חול המועד} is Hebrew for ‘weekdays of the holiday or festival’ and it refers to the days of

In Moses’ final blessing on Israel, one can find the following words: “When Moses commanded us a law, as a

The Bible tells us about the condition of the land prior to the creation of man in the following verse:

The opening part of the Book of Numbers deals with the census of the people of Israel and that is

The Book of Leviticus lays out the different kinds of the ‘Korbanot’ {קרבנות} (Hebrew for ‘sacrifices’) and that their purpose

Just before the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, the Bible tells us that God gave very specific instructions to

This year we will celebrate the Festival of Purim {פורים} in the upcoming week and that is why this week

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Ha’azinu’ {האזינו} (Hebrew for ‘listen’). This is the tenth ‘Parashah’ in the Book

Today’s Parasha {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Toldot’ {תולדות} (Hebrew for ‘generations’). This is the sixth weekly Torah portion in

The first day of the Creation ends with the following words: “God called the light Day, and the darkness he

  The last matter of our weekly Torah portion is when Moses appointed Joshua to succeed him. Let’s have a

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Be-Har” {בהר} (‘on the mount’ in Hebrew) – which is the ninth “parasha”

The Table of Showbread was placed in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem exactly opposite to the

‘Shir Ha-Shirim’ {שיר השירים} – Hebrew for the biblical book of ‘Song of Songs’ (AKA ‘Song of Solomon’) is part

When Moses gave his speech to Israel before they entered the Promised Land the Bible tells us the following: “Beyond

Every week before Shabbat, I write about the ‘Parasha’ {פרשה} (the weekly Torah portion). This week is very special and

The third chapter of the Book of Genesis ends with the description of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden

Today’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Beha’alotecha’  {בהעלותך} (‘when you step up’). This is the third ‘Parashah’ in the Book

Today is our last post in the three part series about the special qualities Betzalel the chief artisan of the

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Va-yak’hel” {ויקהל} (and he assembled) – which is the tenth  “parasha” in the Book of

Today is the 33rd day in the count of the Omer {עומר}  (or as we call it in Hebrew ‘Lag

When the Book of Deuteronomy speaks about the ceremony of the first fruits, there is brief record of the history

Today’s Parashah {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Chayei Sarah’ {חיי שרה} (Hebrew for ‘Life of Sarah’). This is the fifth weekly

Beginning today, all synagogues will begin to read the fourth book in the Torah the Book of Numbers. The original

Before Passover, we discussed the spiritual nature of biblical leprosy (‘Tzara’at’ {צרעת} in the original Hebrew). According to the Jewish

Before the eighth plague of Egypt – the locusts – God commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh: “Go in to

One of the most interesting things about Purim {פורים} is that there is a difference regarding the time of celebrating

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Ekev’ (Hebrew for ‘follow’). This is the third ‘Parashah’ in the Book of Deuteronomy and can be

The Bible mentions by name TWO trees that were planted in the Garden of Eden: “The tree of life was in

After God created the woman in the Garden of Eden, the Bible tells us the following well-known story: “So the LORD

‘Nazirite’ is ‘Nazir’ (נזיר) in the original Hebrew and it is derived from the Hebrew root N-Z-R (נ-ז-ר) which means

A couple of days ago we began discussing the Hebrew meaning of the sacrifices in the Tabernacle and the Temple.

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Tetzaveh” {תצוה} – which is the eighth “parasha” in the Book of Exodus

As discussed on Friday, last Shabbat, which takes place right after ‘Rosh Ha-Shanah’ {ראש השנה} and just before ‘Yom Kippur’ {יום

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Devarim’ (Hebrew for ‘words’). This is the first ‘Parashah’ in the Book of Deuteronomy

Following the rejected offering, God’s words to Cain are very intriguing and absolutely outstanding from the Hebrew language perspective. Today’s

In the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, man was placed in the Garden of Eden, but

The story of the daughters of Zelophehad is very interesting and has a couple of layers. Yesterday we mentioned one

Where did the phrase ‘carved in stone’ come from and how it is related to the Torah? “The LORD said

Passover will take place this year beginning next Friday (evening). Because of that, is it customary to read a special

The issue of ‘cities of refuge’ appears in the weekly Torah portion: “Then Moses set apart three cities in the

It seems like a strange question because we all know Jacob had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

When the tribes of Israel were on their way to enter the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben and Gad

“When a man is afflicted with a leprous disease, he shall be brought to the priest.” (Leviticus 13:9) The word

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is “Ki Tissa” {כי תשא} – which is the ninth “parasha” in the Book

Every year, the Shabbat after ‘Tishah Be-Av’ {תשעה באב} – the fast day which commemorates the day of the destruction

Today we will talk a bit about the structure of the Hebrew verb system in order to better understand the

After Cain and Abel had grown up, the Bible tells us the following: “…Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked

Yesterday we started talking about the mysterious ‘great sea creatures’ of Genesis. We had a closer look at the different Bible

Yesterday we talked about the fascinating structure of the priestly blessing and today we will discuss the Hebrew meaning of

The weekly Torah portion’s name is “Metzora”  {מצורע}(‘LEPERS’) and it is found in Leviticus  14:1–15:33 The Hebrew word ‘Tzara’at’ {צרעת} means

When Jethro came to visit Moses, he did not come alone. Jethro’s daughter Zipporah (Moses’ wife) and Moses’ two sons

Beside sitting or ‘dwelling’ in the Sukkah the other main ‘Mitzvah’ (biblical commandment) of the ‘Feast of Sukkot’ is the well-known

Tomorrow’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Nitzavim’ {ניצבים} (Hebrew for ‘are standing’). This is the eighth ‘Parashah’ in the

After God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s offering, the Bible reveals God’s words to Cain: “Then the LORD said

After Cain killed his brother Abel, the Bible tells us about the following dialogue between God and Cain: “Then the

  Yesterday we talked about ‘the glory of God’ and its connection to the ‘sin offering’ as can be found

Today’s “parasha” {פרשה}(weekly Torah portion) is ‘Bo’ {בא} (Hebrew for ‘come’ or ‘go’) and this is the “parasha” that tells

Today is “Tu Be-Shevat”{ט”ו בשבט}  – Hebrew for the fifteenth of the month of Shevat {שבט} (which is the eleventh

  We all know the famous term ‘stiff-necked’ – the idiomatic phrase to describe someone who is stubborn, but what

A couple of weeks ago I discussed the Hebrew meaning of the name ‘Adam'{אדם} which derives from the Hebrew word for

The previous posts from last week dealt with the camp order of the people of Israel in the desert, so today

About forty-five years ago, during a routine archaeological excavation in Ein Gedi {עין גדי} – an amazing oasis in the

  In yesterday’s post we mentioned the story of Moses and the two Hebrews. The term ‘Hebrew’ is frequently repeated

Every year, while the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, the second day of Passover was known as the ‘first

Our weekly Torah portion (‘Shofetim’) opens with the following verse: “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns

In the last post, we discussed the important question as to why God FAVORED Abel’s offering and REJECTED Cain’s offering.

Today we will talk about one of the most intriguing mysteries of ‘Ma’ase Bereshit’ {מעשה בראשית} – Hebrew for ‘the act

Today’s ‘Parashah’ {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Chukat’ {חקת} (‘decree’ or ‘law’). This is the sixth ‘Parashah’ in the Book

In our weekly Torah portion, one can find a long list of laws and regulations regarding how a person should

When Moses was a baby, his mother put him in a basket and sent it floating on the Nile in

As mentioned in the first post about Passover, one of the main rituals of the first night of this holiday

Yesterday we mentioned Chapter 13 of the Book of Deuteronomy. This chapter is the origin of the Hebrew figure of

Chapter three of the Book of Genesis opens with the following words: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any

Yesterday we talked about the creation of the ‘great lights’ as can be found in the Book of Genesis: “And

In continuation of our weekly Torah portion posts which deal with the basic moral codes of a healthy and morally

In yesterday’s post we posed the question as to whether or not the Children of Israel actually ‘plundered’ the Egyptians?

In yesterday’s post we discussed the connection between ‘first fruits’ and the story of the Israelites in Egypt. We mentioned

Today’s ‘Parashah’ (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Ki Tetze’ {כי תצא} (Hebrew for ‘when you go out’). This is the sixth

The Biblical phrase ‘let us make man’ is only the FIRST part of a complete sentence, which is: “Then God said,

The last topic in the weekly Torah portion of ‘Naso’ {נשא} (found in the Book of Numbers) is the offerings at the

In our weekly Torah portion it is written: “On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the

The incense offering at the Tabernacle and at the Temple in Jerusalem consisted of a couple of different fragrant spices

Today in the evening, Jewish people from all around the globe will celebrate the Jewish New Year which is called

When the Maccabees liberated Jerusalem and entered the Temple, they wanted to light the Menorah. But then they discovered that

Today is the second day of the Jewish New Year – ‘Rosh Ha-Shanah {ראש השנה}.’ The reason why this Jewish

After reciting the Hanukkah blessings and lighting the Menorah, it is customary to sing songs. The most popular Hanukkah song

Today in the evening is the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of ‘Tisheri’ {תשרי} and that means that another

Today is the first day of Hanukkah – also known as the Festival of Lights. This holiday marks the historic

Today at sunset will be the tenth of the Hebrew month of ‘Tisheri’ {תשרי} and this signifies the beginning of

Lighting the candles is the main ritual of Hanukkah {חנוכה}. Because Hanukkah lasts eight days, there are eight candles on

As we have mentioned here before, part of the service at the synagogue during every Shabbat and Jewish holiday is publicly

“Sevivon” (סביבון) is the Hebrew name for a four-sided spinning top (also known as dreidel) which is the most popular

Every year on the second day of ‘Chol Ha-Moed’ {חול המועד} (‘weekdays of the holiday or festival’) of Passover the

The basic commandment of the ‘Feast of Sukkot’ is to sit/dwell in the Sukkah {סוכה} (tent or booth) for seven

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, on the fifteenth day of this

About a month ago, the holiday season  started in the Jewish world. It began with Rosh Ha-Shanah {ראש השנה} (the

Every seven years, right when the year of the Shemitah {שמיטה} ends, during the Feast of Sukkot of the following

Over the last year we have mentioned many times the annual cycle of the Torah reading which is manifested in

When the Bible tells us about the famous story of the spies, who went to explore the land of Canaan,

Yesterday we discussed the connection between the ‘blessing of the rain in its season’ and its relationship to peace. Today

This week’s ‘Haftarah’ – weekly prophet’s portion – is found in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 54 and speaks about

If we examine closely the scriptures (and especially after the last few post’s clarifications) it seems that the first thing

Today is April first – the day that is also known as ‘April Fool’s day’. The Biblical Hebrew word for

Yesterday we mentioned that there are two different words for ‘spying’ in Biblical Hebrew. The first word ‘La-Tur’ {לתור}  which

One of the most well-known of God’s blessings for obedience to His laws is the ‘the rain in its season’

This week’s ‘Haftarah’ – weekly Prophet’s portion – is found in the Book of Isaiah, chapters 49-51 and speaks about

Today’s Parashah {פרשה} (weekly Torah portion) is ‘Lech-Lecha’ {לך לך} (Hebrew for ‘go for you’). This is the third weekly

  The Mercy Seat is the cover of the Ark of the Covenant which was made out of solid gold.

In Biblical Hebrew, one can find two different words to describe the verb ‘to spy’. One of them can be

This week’s Torah portion ( Be-Chukotai ) {בחוקותי} describes the different blessings for obedience to God’s laws and on the

The number one best seller of all times, the text that has shaped, designed and influenced the history of humanity

Tomorrow’s Parashah {פרשה}  (weekly Torah portion) is Noach {נח} (Hebrew for Noah.) This is the second weekly Torah portion in the

 “Mishneh Torah” {משנה תורה} is the Hebrew name for the most comprehensive work that has ever been written about the

Yesterday we mentioned that our weekly Torah portion talks about the story of the spies Moses send to the land

Tomorrow’s “parasha” (weekly Torah portion) is “Be-Chukotai’” {בחוקותי} (‘In my statutes’) – which is the tenth and last “parasha” in

At the end of the Second Temple Period, a new religious institution emerged among the Jews who lived in the

During the last couple of days we discussed the deeper meaning of the original Hebrew regarding the beginning of Creation.

Did you know that “Birkat Hachama” {ברכת החמה} (“Blessing of the Sun” in Hebrew) is the most rare blessing in

After the Israelites left Mount Sinai, they started to complain about life in the desert and said the following: “Now

In yesterday’s post we talked about the biblical definition of ‘property’ – ‘Achuza’ {אחוזה} in the original Hebrew – and

The ‘Piyyut’ {פיוט} (from the Greek word ‘poiétḗs’ which means ‘poet’), the Jewish liturgical poem which was recited/sung in synagogues,

In the Jewish literature, what Korah and his company did is not considered as a ‘rebellion’ but rather as ‘Machloket’

After the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea they sang “the Song of the Sea” (“Shirat Ha-yam” {שירת הים}

This week ‘s ‘Haftarah’ (weekly Prophet’s portion) is taken from the Book of Zechariah (Zechariah 2:14-4:7) and talks about Joshua,

Yesterday we talked a bit about the ‘Shemitah’ {שמיטה} (‘sabbatical year’) and today we will discuss the Hebrew meaning of

At the end of the 15th century, following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and the migration of Jews

If one would ask a native Hebrew speaker to describe a person who has great wealth, one would hear the

“Rosh Chodesh” {ראש חודש} is Hebrew for “the beginning of the month” and it literally means “the head of the

Yesterday we mentioned the connection between the weekly Torah portion (‘Naso’) and the weekly Prophet’s portion which speaks about Samson.

“The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when

The revival of the Hebrew language in modern times is sometimes considered no less than a miracle. Undoubtedly, it was

  Korah and his company complained about the leadership role of Moses, or in other words, they challenged Moses and

This week’s ‘Haftarah’ (weekly Prophet’s portion) is one of a series of three ‘Haftarot’ (plural from of weekly Prophet’s portion)

This week’s ‘Haftarah’ (weekly Prophet’s portion) tells the story of the birth of Samson and can be found in the

Parashat Emor’{פרשת אמור}  – the weekly Torah portion for today, mainly discusses two issues: the regulations of the priests who

The revivers of the Hebrew language were influenced by European languages (mainly Latin, German and some Russian) on the one

Yesterday we explained the background of Korah’s rebellion. The main trigger of the rebellion was the appointment of Elizaphan, the

Today we continue with our discussion of the Hebrew meaning of the biblical holy days. ‘Yom Kippur’ {יום כיפור} (‘Day

The sin of the spies, who were sent to explore the Land of Israel, is considered to be one of

During this week’s posts we have focused on the way the different tribes of Israel’s camps were organized in the

Tomorrow’s “parashot” {פרשות} (weekly Torah PORTIONS) are “Acharei Mot” {אחרי מות} (‘after the death’) and “Kedoshim” }קדושים} (‘holy ones’) –

The cultural environment of the first and second centuries CE was characterized by the strong dominance of mainly Greek and

Our weekly Torah portion begins with the following verses: “Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of

Today we will begin a short series of posts about the Ark of the Covenant and other vessels of the

The main difference between a sabbatical year (‘Shemitah’{שמיטה}) and the jubilee (‘Yovel’{יובל}) is the issue of the property ownership. While

Since our weekly Torah portion mentions the prohibition of drinking alcohol by the priests who were serving God, I thought

From a linguistic perspective, it seems that there is a difference between the two ‘kinds’ of Hebrew in the Bible

The main topic of ‘Parashat Korach’ {פרשת קורח} (the weekly Torah portion of ‘Korah’) is Korah’s rebellion against Moses and

The biblical structure of blessings and punishments (curses) characterizes the ending of the Book of Leviticus and can be found

Today is the sixth of the Hebrew month of Sivan {סיון} and that means we are celebrating the Festival of

The sabbatical year has two names in Hebrew -‘Shenat Shemitah’ {שנת שמיטה} and ‘Shenat Shabbathon’ {שנת שבתון} (‘Shenat’ }שנת} means

By the 10th century and later until the end of the 15th century, the map of the Jewish settlement had