Jewish Treats

Opening England

Menashe ben Israel (Manoel Dias Soeiro, 1604 -1657), whose family fled Portugal after the Lisbon auto-de-fe of 1603, was raised in Amsterdam where he received a full Jewish education and…

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Jewish Treats

One from David, One from Joseph

The belief in an ultimate redeemer, referred to as Moshiach (Messiah), is a central tenet of Jewish faith. But, almost all of the details about the coming of Moshiach and the Messianic…

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Jewish Treats

Follow Those Who Know

Follow the advice of Jossie ben Joezer of Tzeredah, who said: "Let your house be a meetinghouse for the sages and sit amid the dust of their feet" (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the…

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Bereshith,Weekly Message

Bereshith 5767-2006

"Pardes--the Four Levels of Understanding Torah" by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald The Talmud in Chagiga 14b, tells the story of four great scholars, Ben Azai, Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva,…

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Jewish Treats

The Tosafot Commentaries

One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish study are the layer upon layer of enlightening and edifying commentaries that can be found when studying texts of the Torah or the Talmud. Of…

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Jewish Treats

Acher: The Sage Turned Apostate

Our Rabbis taught (Chagigah 14b): Four men entered the ‘orchard’ (pardes, a metaphor for Heaven), namely, Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud informs us of their fate.…

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Jewish Treats

Rashi and The Tosafot Commentaries

One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish study are the layer upon layer of enlightening and edifying commentaries that can be found when studying texts of the Torah or the Talmud. Of…

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Jewish Treats

Rashi and The Tosafot Commentaries

One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish study are the layer-upon-layer of enlightening and edifying commentaries that can be found when studying texts of the Torah or the Talmud. Of…

Read More

Lag Ba’Omer,Holidays,Judaism,Holiday ResourcesJudaism,Literacy

Lag Ba’Omer

Lag Ba'Omer33rd of the Omer Table of Contents Lag Ba’Omer Rabbi Akiva – Hero and Martyr Rabbi Shimon…

Pinchas,Weekly Message

Pinchas 5773-2013

“The Lesson of the Broken Vav” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Pinchas, we learn the identities of the two defiant people who committed an act of public…

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