Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on October 7, 2014 by Daniella Adler
In Rambam’s Laws of Sukkot 8:12, he writes,“Even though it is a mitzvah to rejoice on all the festivals, there was an additional celebration in the Temple on the festival of Sukkot, as [Leviticus 23:40] commands: “And you shall rejoice before God, your Lord, for seven days.” אף על פי שכל המועדות מצוה לשמוח בהן, Continue Reading »
Posted on October 3, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt
I’m not going to lie. The energy here in Jerusalem and at Pardes in the past 10 days has been rather high-stress. On the one hand, I think that it’s warranted, considering that the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are meant to be an intense time of reflection and reparation, a time Continue Reading »
Posted on September 29, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen
Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. דְּבָרִים לב:א “הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַאֲדַבֵּרָה; וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ, אִמְרֵי-פִי.” “Listen heaven, and I will speak! Earth, hear the words of my mouth.” Ha’azinu is an interesting parsha, both in structure and in language. The parsha is presented in the Torah Continue Reading »
Posted on September 22, 2014 by Sarah Marx
In the last week, hovering on the edge of Rosh Hashanah, I’ve heard and sung songs that shook me to my core. In the coming weeks, I’ll be faced with many more – liturgy for the High Holidays, its passion and fear barely contained by the melodies’ majesty, or zemirot sung around the Shabbat table. Continue Reading »
Posted on September 19, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen
Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. דְּבָרִים כט:ט “אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כֹּל, אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל”. “Today you are all standing before the Lord your God, your leaders, your tribal chiefs, your elders, your law enforces, every Israelite man.” Continue Reading »
Posted on September 1, 2014 by Eva Neuhaus
All the month of Elul before eating and sleeping let every man sit and look into his soul, and search his deeds, that he may make confession. (S.Y. Agnon, Days of Awe, citing Maharil) Last week I had an epic fail. I think failures are precious—especially the big ones— because they offer a huge window into the Continue Reading »
