The Blessings of the Amidah: Destruction of Our Enemies
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The twelfth blessing was actually added after the destruction of the Second Temple. This blessing calls…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Destruction of Our Enemies
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The twelfth blessing was actually added to the prayer after the destruction of the Second Temple. This…
First You and Then You
From a broad perspective, the opportunity for all members of a prayer service to participate in a Torah Reading Service is an important statement on Jewish inclusion. In reality, however,…
First You and Then You
From a broad perspective, the opportunity for all members of a prayer service to participate in a Torah reading service is an important statement on Jewish inclusion. In reality, however,…
The Building of Solomon’s Temple
The 17th of Cheshvan marks the day on which King Solomon declared the work on the Holy Temple (Beit Hamikdash) to be complete. By then, Solomon had been king for eleven years, and the…
The Second Uprising
History is a study in cause and effect. On the 9th of Av (Saturday, July 25. Fast observed on Sunday, July 26), the Jewish people mourn two additional tragic events that…
The Second Uprising
History is a study in cause and effect. Today, on the 9th of Av, the Jewish people mourn two additional tragic events that followed the terrible destruction of the Second Temple: the…
Passover: The Second Days 5768-2008
"Counting the Omer" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald In parashat Emor, we learn of the mitzvah of counting the Omer. Leviticus 23:15-16 declares: "Oosfartem lachem mee'macharat…
The Miracles of the Temple
The Jewish liturgy is filled with reminders of how we should mourn the loss of the Holy Temple, with prayers asking God to return the Holy Temple to us. While it is common knowledge, from…