We can aspire to holiness! You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:2) Throughout Leviticus, God commands Moses to teach the Children of Israel, or to instruct them in various commandments and rules of behavior. With this scripture, God introduces a few laws pertaining to our relationship with God, … Read more
As I drove down Route 60 one night, otherwise known as the ancient Path of the Patriarchs, my heart filled with joy. This is the Biblical Heartland, where Abraham first received the promise of the land! And it is truly growing with modern communities. Every group of twinkling lights means another part of the prophecy is being fulfilled,another neighborhood is growing in Judea and Samaria. As I travelled down the road and looked up at the mountains to my right, I rejoiced in one of the smallest of these communities: Nofei Nechemia!
But beyond the joy that we all feel in the birth of a new baby, the Brit itself has such a special significance to us as individuals and as a people. Some 4,000 years ago, an old man named Abraham heard the call from G-d to leave his home and go forward to the Land of Israel. Some years after his arrival in the land, G-d commanded him to circumcise himself as an act of covenant between him and G-d, an act of covenant that would be repeated by his descendants forever. At the original covenant with Abraham, G-d changed Abraham’s name from Abram to Abraham.
I cannot think of a better gift to the State of Israel on her 70th anniversary than ensuring her strong future. This is exactly what CvI Holland did this year, partnering with CFOIC Heartland to help the Bet Hagai Youth Village.
Twice, Scripture tells us that the glory of God has filled the Tabernacle, which, in essence is what the Tabernacle was for. When God first instructed Moses on this issue, He said: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). Clearly, in having His glory fill the Tabernacle, He is dwelling among His people.
The Punishment of the Emorites is the Reward of Israel This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest. (Leviticus 14:2) So begins a detailed description of the rituals involved with purifying someone who has been afflicted with Biblical … Read more
The city of Shechem is first mentioned in Genesis 12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. This is the first place where Abraham enters the promised land and this is the first time that Abraham hears God say “this” is the land that I promised to show you.
Exactly 50 years ago, in just six days, the IDF liberated all of Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and the Jordan Valley and returned us to our historic heartland. This Jubilee year is a time of celebration, of jubilation!