Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 16, 2011 by Shibley
Over the past weeks, I have used afternoon seder to study the laws of aveilut (mourning). As with many areas of halakha, there are numerous details and caveats. I have found myself troubled by the seemingly impersonal details of the halacha, which is brings me to Chayei Sarah, our parasha this week. Sarah dies in Continue Reading »
Posted on June 30, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
this parsha is one that sits heavy with death. for one thing, early on, we get the description of what to do when one comes in contact with a dead body. and then, as if the Torah was simply giving us the procedure in order to prepare us for what’s to come, we learn of Continue Reading »
Posted on May 22, 2011 by Jean
When Job’s three friends heard about all these calamities that had befallen him, each came from his home…. They met together to go and console and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance… they broke into loud weeping; each one tore his robe and threw dust into the air onto his head. They Continue Reading »
Posted on May 9, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, I feel very privileged to write to you today after my first week back at Pardes. On numerous occasions this week, I have been reminded of the incredible blessing to learn Torah full time, from such dedicated and wise teachers and classmates, and of course, in my beloved Jerusalem. And yet, this week Continue Reading »
Posted on October 28, 2010 by Joel D.
Thoughts on this week’s Parsha, חיי שרה. Not too long ago we were all eating, some sleeping, and many of us singing in little huts known as Sukkoth. Sukkoth is, as a festival, known as, “Zman Simkhateinu”, The Time of Our Joy. Surely eating and dancing in a wooden hut outside is fun in and Continue Reading »
Posted on October 27, 2010 by Avi Strausberg
we learn of three deaths in this week’s parsha, whose very title, חיי שרה, contains the word life. the first death, is that of sarah, for whose death, avraham wails and cries, seemingly alone in his grief. in constrast, after avraham’s own death, just pages later, he breathes his last breath, dies, and is Continue Reading »
Posted on October 25, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, I hope all is well with you and that your week has been a productive and uplifting one! Thank God, I can say that mine has been very busy — but with the best of things: Torah study, Torah study, more Torah study, spending time with family and friends and enjoying the beauty Continue Reading »
Posted on February 15, 2010 by Naomi Adland
“Today was a good day.” It’s not often that I find myself able to unequivocally utter these words. But every once and a while, a day comes along that is so good that there is nothing left to say. Today was a good day because it was the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar – Continue Reading »
