Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Barer
Rashi, in his first comment on the parsha (16:1), asks the perennial question: Why, after two parshiyot talking about the details of ritual impurity, does the text remind us so clearly that Aaron has recently lost his two eldest sons? Rashi quotes the book Torat Kohanim (The Book of Priests, 16:3), the main collection of Continue Reading »
Posted on April 15, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media
Alum Ari Berkowicz (2009-10) made this great Pesach music video!
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Joel D.
A great Rabbi once spoke of his relationship with the Jewish people and its Law. Of the People he spoke of love, but of Law he spoke of submission. This I found to be gravely unappetizing. For to speak of submission is to speak of burden, not of loving embrace. To recognize Jewish Law as Continue Reading »
Posted on April 13, 2011 by Shibley
Last Shabbat I had the pleasure of trying out a new synagogue in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Nachlaot called Kol Rina. Kol Rina meets in a miklat (bomb shelter), and you could easily miss it. Once inside, it appears as if this is a full service synagogue, with a newsletter, committees, a library, events, a Continue Reading »
Posted on April 13, 2011 by Shibley
Passover is rapidly approaching. Next Monday, across the world Jews of all denominations and traditions will sit down to festive seder meals. In only one country, however, is Passover cleaning a universal activity. Yes, there are plenty of secular Israelis who take their toothbrushes to the grout between their kitchen tiles. Cleaning products are flying Continue Reading »
Posted on April 12, 2011 by Joel D.
Posted on April 11, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
i would’ve wanted more. two parshiot later after the death of aharon’s sons, parshat achrei mot, picks up at the moment following their deaths. back in parshat shimini, where we actually learn of the boys’ all-too-close encounter with foreign fire, God speaks directly to aharon in a rare moment of personal revelation. okay, at least Continue Reading »
Posted on April 11, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media
Below is a guest post from 2 Pardes alumni: Rabbi Jon Kelsen & Dena Weiss are both alumni of the Pardes kollel program. Jon teaches at the Drisha Institute, and Dena teaches at Yeshivat Hadar. Together in chevruta, Jon & Dena wrote two prayers, in anticipation of bedikat / biur hametz this year. Here is their explanation. (read Continue Reading »
Posted on April 9, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media
Here is a photo that student Scott Roland* took of his Talmud teacher Rabbi Zvi Hirshfield putting tefilin on his son for the first time… It was a beautiful moment: *Scott is a rabbinical student at Hebrew College. He is studying in Israel this year.
Posted on April 9, 2011 by Pious Antic
What is t’shuvah? The word is often translated as repentance, but that doesn’t quite capture it. T’shuvah comes from a root meaning to return, and it connotes the idea of turning away from sin and returning to one’s true values, to the best version of oneself, as well as the idea of figuratively returning to Continue Reading »
