In the the Ben Shemen forest, near the city of Modiin there is a park called Naot Kedumim. This unique park imitates biblical Israel; it has a few areas dedicated to visualising different parts of the Tanach. For example there is a trail that passes through all seven of the Shivat Haminim with the appropriate verses quoted along the way and a path through foliage that relates well with love and romance complete with quotes from Shir Hashirim. Additionally they have various to

When we read through the Torah, and when we go over the calendar, we can immediately see a unique fact about Sukkot. It is in the end of two different cycles of holidays. It is the end of the Tishrei cycle, being the last holiday after Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and also the third of the cycle of the Shalosh Regalim, which include Pesach and Shavuot. The special thing about this fact is that the two cycles seem to be reversed, and even contradictory. The Regalim system is a

At the end of the book of Devarim and the end of a long time in the desert, Moshe, the undisputed leader of Israel, begins to transfer the leadership to the next generation. In our Parasha, Moshe commands Yehuoshua bin Nun: “Be strong and courageous because you shall bring the people to the land.” Moshe is telling Yehoshua that he will be the next leader, and that Yehoshua is the one who will bring the children of Israel to the Promised Land. In 1900, there was another Jewish

הַקְהֵל אֶת־הָעָם הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ, לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ וּלְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ וְיָֽרְאוּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרי הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת: In what is one of his last speeches to Am Israel, Moshe Rabeinu teaches us the mitzvah of Hakhel. Every seven years, at the end of shnat hashmita, the entire nation is supposed to gather together for this special event. One of the unique things about this mitzvah is t

It is a Mitzvah to eat on the eve of Yom Kippur and to increase the amount one normally consumes (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim 604:1). Seemingly, it would appear to be more appropriate to fill oneself with fear and trembling than food. What reason could there be for joyful eating and drinking at such a time? Rabbi Moshe Cordovero explains that we rejoice in anticipation of fulfilling the commandment of repentance on Yom Kippur, for it is fitting that we rejoice greatly in our