Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on December 13, 2010 by Zach
Yet again, it’s been way too long since my last post. I seem to start every post that way… maybe I’ll get better at this eventually. Instead of giving the normal Christmas break that American schools give, Pardes, and Israel in general, has a winter break for the eight days of Chanukkah. Chanukkah this year Continue Reading »
Posted on December 13, 2010 by Shibley
Last Thursday evening, we returned to the normal weekday arrangement of t’fillot. Friday we resumed saying tahanun (putting down of the head). Remember, since the beginning of Hannukah, we did not say tahanun, and we inserted into the amidah a passage about the holidy of which we were in the midst. Additionally, we encountered rosh Continue Reading »
Posted on December 11, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, I hope you are all recovering from the oil-filled foods from Channukah. I know that I’ve had more than my share of those miraculous treats! Late last week, I was learning the parsha with a dear friend of mine, Chippy, and we were reading small sections and asking questions, reading further on and Continue Reading »
Posted on December 9, 2010 by Michael
I think there is a general misunderstanding about the difference between physicality and sensuality. The physical world is extremely holy. The elements fire, water, air, earth are absolutely mysterious in Origin, as they come directly from the creation of Gd’s word. It is the improper orientation towards physicality that is sensuality, in other words being Continue Reading »
Posted on December 9, 2010 by Avi Strausberg
okay, this is a two-thought, two-haiku parsha. finally, finally, the dramatic reunion we’ve all been waiting for since joseph’s brothers sold him off to a caravan of ishmaelites many years back. joseph plays his part well: he sends out all the servants, he confesses his concealed identity, and he loudly weeps so that all may Continue Reading »
Posted on December 8, 2010 by Shibley
from my blog: Throughout the ongoing week of Hannukah, we insert into each recitation of the Amidah a special passage that references and recalls the festival which we are currently celebrating. We commonly think of Hannukah as a holiday about a simple jug of oil that miraculously lasted for eight times longer than expected. We Continue Reading »
Posted on December 8, 2010 by Shibley
From my blog: Dec. 6 was the first measurable rain of the season in Jerusalem. A damp cloudy chilly day has never looked so beautiful. It represents only a tiny amount of what would be necessary to alleviate the drought, but it’s a wonderful start. I’m going to splash in puddles. Also, the fires in the Continue Reading »
Posted on December 5, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Happy Channukah! I’m very excited to be celebrating in the illuminated (and unseasonably warm) city of Jerusalem this year. The ‘holiday season’ here is NOTHING like what it is in Toronto. I mean, the local bus has a sign that says “Channukah Sameach” (“Happy Channukah”) on it. Enough said. Before I share what Continue Reading »
Posted on December 5, 2010 by Shibley
Cross-posted from my blog: On Friday afternoon, as I was preparing for Shabbat, I found myself in front of a pan of hot oil. No, I was not making latkes or sufganiyot. I was instead whipping up a batch of shnitzel for Shabbat lunch. With the cooking completed, and grease splatters on my shirt ( Continue Reading »
Posted on December 3, 2010 by Pious Antic
This is a cross-post from my personal blog. This week in my Talmud class, as we approach the close of Chapter Four of Tractate Sanhedrin, we were looking at the talmud’s discussion of the warning given to witnesses in dinei nefashot, or capital cases. Among other injunctions, the mishnah states that witnesses are warned not Continue Reading »
