Counting from the month of Aviv in the spring, Shevat is the eleventh month and is mentioned by name in in Zechariah 1:7. The name, “Shevat,” has some interesting connotations. The root word means “to control” or “to rule” and is often translated in the Bible as “scepter.” It is rendered as “a rod” which […]
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.” […]
It was on this day in 1933 that Adolph Hitler was appointed as Chancellor of Germany. Ironically, on the same day and in the same city where Hitler was appointed as German Chancellor, the Society for Youth Aliyah was established. Over time, this group would be responsible for transporting over 115,000 young people from the […]
It was on this day in 1942 that the Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich met with representatives of the German Police, the S.S. and leading Nazi Party officials to begin discussing the implementation of the so-called, “Final Solution” to the so-called “Jewish Problem.” What was the so-called “Jewish Problem”? It would seem the problem was, at […]
It was on this day that Moses was allowed to observe the Promised Land from the top of the mountain but was told that he would not be permitted to cross over. Deuteronomy 3:27-28 reads: “Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the […]
Long ago, David wrote these words: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”(Psalm 121:1-2) I used to think that as David looked upon the hills that partially surround Jerusalem, he saw them as a symbol of […]
Back in 1969 my Dad took our family to a drive-in theater to see Walt Disney’s animated feature, 101 Dalmatians. Besides the excitement of seeing the movie on the big screen and eating popcorn in the car, the memory that lingers in my mind about that particular evening was my very worried mother in the […]
It was on this day in the year 1204 that Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides or the Rambam, died. To this day Maimonides is considered to be one of the most esteemed, perhaps the premier sage of rabbinical Judaism. He was a noted Talmudist, a codifier, a writer, a philosopher, exhibiting great […]
We read in the Scripture that when Messiah was brought before Pilate, the Roman Governor asked Him, “What is truth?” The irony of the question is that Truth was standing right in front of Pilate. He was staring at Truth, but he would not, or could not, recognize Him. On a much broader scale, the […]
When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness of Sinai, He descended upon the mountain and said: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” He didn’t say, “I am the Lord your God who created […]
In Judaism, this day commemorates the death of two prominent 18th century rabbis, who were also regarded as maggidim or “preachers.” A maggid, or preacher, is distinguished from a typical rabbi in that a rabbi’s audience tends to be scholars and students. A maggid, however, was someone who went to the masses. In the 18th century, […]
It was on this day in 1947 that the ship called “29th of November,” filled with Jewish immigrants to the Holy Land, was turned away by the British. The reason it was denied entry was because it contained, at least in Britain’s view, “displaced persons” they considered to be illegal immigrants. On November of 29, […]
