Although current manifestations of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are ugly and painful, we must take the long view of things. This isn’t the first period of Jewish history where Jews faced viciousness and violence. But long experience has taught us to stay strong, stay confident, stay positive. The challenge to our generation is to stand tall as Jews, to stand strong on behalf of Israel.
Joseph set a model of maintaining pride, dignity and self-worth even in difficult conditions. It’s a model relevant to us today.
Book Review
By Rabbi Hayyim Angel
Rabbi Gil Student, Articles of Faith: Traditional Jewish Belief in the Internet Era (Kodesh Press, 2024)
Over the past two centuries, analysis of literary tools, comparative linguistics, and the
discovery of a wealth of ancient texts and artifacts have contributed immensely to our
understanding the rich tapestry and complexity of biblical texts.
This article on Hanukkah draws on teachings of Daniel Kahneman, an Israeli-American author, psychologist and economist notable for his work on hedonic psychology, psychology of judgment and decision-making. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (shared with Vernon L. Smith). Since 1966, the tiny country of Israel has had 13 Nobel Prize Winners in various categories!!
On Wednesday, December 10, Rabbi Hayyim Angel did a podcast with Halacha Headlines. He discusses three instances of King David pardoning close relatives who had committed terrible sins.
Listen to the podcast here
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Recent months have seen ugly manifestations of anti-Zionism throughout the world. The haters have distorted the meaning and mission of Zionism. We need to embrace “Bible Zionism” in every forum to set the record straight.
One of the overarching goals of the Torah is to refine people’s moral character. Many laws and narratives overtly focus on morality, and many others inveigh against the immorality and amorality of paganism. The biblical prophets place consistency between observance of God’s ritual and moral laws at the very heart of their message.
Old rivalries and hatreds can be overcome. We can win together. With all our differences, we can find common ground. The Torah points the way.