Hashkafa

Removing the Sun from its Sheath – without vaporizing the solar system

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The Two Kings and the Cosmic נרתיק: A Scientific Hypothetical Interpretation of a Midrash

For millennia, Jewish tradition has maintained that the cosmos we observe today is fundamentally fractured, operating in a state of diminished spiritual and physical reality. The Torah describes an initial universe where light was perfectly balanced, a harmony that was lost and which the Messianic era is destined to restore.

צורת הבית

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The Shape of the Third Base Hamikdash וְאִֽם נִכְלְמ֞וּ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂ֗וּ צוּרַ֣ת הַבַּ֡יִת וּתְכֽוּנָת֡וֹ וּמֽוֹצָאָ֡יו וּמֽוֹבָאָ֣יו וְכָל צֽוּרֹתָ֡ו וְאֵ֣ת כָּל חֻקֹּתָיו֩ וְכָל צ֨וּרֹתָ֚ו וְכָל תּוֹרֹתָו֙ הוֹדַ֣ע אוֹתָ֔ם וּכְתֹ֖ב לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם וְיִשְׁמְר֞וּ אֶת כָּל צֽוּרָת֛וֹ וְאֶת כָּל חֻקֹּתָ֖יו וְעָשׂ֥וּ אוֹתָֽם. And if they are ashamed from all they have done [then let them know what I … Read more

The Purpose of the Three Weeks

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וישלך בית אל, שראצר ורגם מלך ואנשיו, לחלות את פני ה’. לאמר אל הכהנים אשר לבית ה’ צבא-ות ואל הנביאים לאמר, האבכה בחדש החמשי הנזר כאשר עשיתי זה כמה שנים. And they sent to Bet El; Shar’etzer, Regem Meleĉ, and his men – to seek out and pray before G-d. To wit: to the Kohanim … Read more

Halaĉa and Hashkafa in the שהחיינו of a Reunion

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Abstract The Gemara establishes that one who meets a dear friend after an interval of thirty (30) days recites the blessing of שהחיינו. Yet, normative Jewish practice today dictates that this blessing is omitted. This paper explores the Halaĉic, pragmatic, and Ĉassidic dimensions of this discrepancy, culminating in an analysis of the historic 1989 dialogue … Read more