King David

"Carrying the Ark"

In parashat Naso we learn that the family of Kehat was required to carry the holiest furnishings of the Tabernacle on their shoulders. This instruction was not merely a recommendation, but a mitzvah that resulted in an unnecessary death in the time of David, when the Ark was mistakenly transported by wagon. It also teaches that the human touch is critical in life, and that technology should not be permitted to replace the always-necessary human relationships with others and with G-d.

"And G-d Built Them Houses"

According to tradition, the midwives who refused to follow Pharaoh's orders and kill the male Hebrew children, were Yocheved and Miriam, mother and sister of Moses and Aaron. The commentaries suggest that when Scripture notes that G-d rewards them by building them "houses" it refers not to real houses, but rather to the dynasties of the Priesthood and Levites and the monarchy of King David. It is NJOP's hope that many NJOP students who never knew that they were Priests and Levites will return to their Priestly and Levitic functions, and that in the time of Messiah, the Al-mighty will see fit to choose one of those students, a descendant of the tribe of Judah, to lead His people to full redemption.

"Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue"

The Torah's ideas of a judicial system and the pursuit of justice have revolutionized jurisprudence throughout the world.

"Building a 'New' Sanctuary"

This has been a difficult and challenging year for the Jewish people. Terror attacks, anti-Semitism, assimilation and intermarriage are on the rise. It has also been a particularly hard year for observant Jews, who have been challenged with the appearance of crustaceans in their waters and wigs that might have been used for idolatry. Perhaps what we need during this period of mourning for the Temple is to spiritually chill-out, to calm down and find a sanctuary in our belief system.

"Beyond the Book of Ruth: The Untold Story"

Why is it that we recall King David through the reading of the story of Ruth on Shavuot, asks Rabbi Eliyahu KiTov? To teach that a person can become a tool for the purpose of heaven on this earth only through affliction and suffering. This is the message that Eliyahu KiTov finds embedded throughout the Book of Ruth.