The Captive Beauty
In the proposed allegorical interpretation, the soldier in the war is a metaphor for the Jewish people, who are all “soldiers” in G‑d’s army Tzivot
September 12, 2022 / 16 Elul 5782
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Passover
Sefirat HaOmer—A Study in Klal u’Prat
The forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot are called the days of Sefira or the days of counting Omer—Sefirat HaOmer—when Jews count every day as
May 27, 2022 / 26 Iyyar 5782
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Counting Weeks and Days
There is a Biblical Commandment to count the days between the Passover and Shavuot, the “Feast of Weeks” (a.k.a. Pentecost). We start counting on the
April 28, 2020 / 4 Iyyar 5780
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Ki Tisa Hints at the Coronavirus
On the Eve of Shabbat, we received a government mailing containing documents that we were required to fill out and send back to the Census
March 16, 2020 / 20 Adar 5780
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Sabbatical Year – when the Wavefunctions are Collapsed
The Torah portion, Re’eh, talks about the Sabbatical Year—in Hebrew, Shemitah—the Seventh year. When the Sabbatical year comes, all loans are forgiven, and Jewish servants
August 17, 2018 / 6 Elul 5778
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Passover Seder—The Arrow of Time
The Passover Seder is called seder, i.e., “order” not without a reason. It is a highly structured and orchestrated ceremony that follows the ancient script—Passover
March 30, 2018 / 14 Nisan 5778
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Pesach Sheni – in a State of Superposition
There were men who were ritually unclean [because of contact with] a dead person, and therefore could not make the Passover sacrifice on that day.
January 10, 2016 / 29 Tevet 5776
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613 Degrees of Freedom
Passover has ended. All Jews hastily return their Passover dishes to storage in special cabinets or the attic until the next Passover. After an eight-day
June 6, 2014 / 8 Sivan 5774
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Four Cups and Three Matzoth
On Seder night we drink four cups of wine and eat three matzoth. Why four cups and not three? Why three matzoth and not four?
April 20, 2014 / 20 Nisan 5774
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From Purim to Passover
The Shulchan Aruch – the Code of Jewish Law – states that 30 days before Pesach (Passover) one needs to start learning the laws of
April 19, 2014 / 19 Nisan 5774
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Pesach – Time of our Freedom
The holiday of Passover – Pesach – is called zman cheruteinu– time of our freedom. As we have discussed many times on this blog (see
April 18, 2014 / 18 Nisan 5774
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It’s the Time, Stupid!
There is a continuous thread about the mastery of time that weaves through the last chapters of the book of Genesis (Bereshit) and continues through
December 31, 2013 / 28 Tevet 5774
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Passover, Shabbat and the Principle of Least Action
There is hardly a Jewish holiday more widely celebrated than Passover (Pesach). Jews of all denominations, affiliations, and levels of religious observance, if any at
March 31, 2013 / 20 Nisan 5773
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