At'halta deGe'ulah: The State of Israel as Prelude to the Messianic Era
Rabbi Hayyim Angel is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of New York City—founded 1654. He teaches Bible at Yeshiva College and is the author of three books and numerous articles. This article, originally a chapter in the book "Rabbi Haim David Halvey, Gentle Scholar and Courageous Thinker," (Urim Publications, 2006), appears in issue 10 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
Throughout his writings, Rabbi Haim David Halevy expressed unwavering faith that the founding of the State of Israel and the Six Day War were overt miracles. Anyone who denied the supernatural nature of these events was spiritually blind (Mekor Hayyim 4, pp. 367–368). There were two options: to believe that this was the beginning of the messianic era, or to be wrong (Mekor Hayyim 2, p. 9). Read more
The End of Prophecy: Malachi's Position in the Spiritual Development of Israel
Rabbi Hayyim Angel is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of New York City—founded 1654. He teaches Bible at Yeshiva College and is the author of three books and numerous articles. This article appears in issue 9 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
Introduction God communicated to people through prophecy for nearly the entire biblical period, from Adam until Malachi. According to a prevalent Jewish tradition, prophecy ceased with Malachi, not to be renewed until the messianic age. In this article, we will consider a few traditional explanations of why prophecy ceased and some spiritual implications for Judaism over the ensuing 2,500 years and counting. Read more
The "Chosen People": An Ethical Challenge
Rabbi Hayyim Angel is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of New York City—founded 1654. He teaches Bible at Yeshiva College and is the author of two books and numerous articles. This article appears in issue 8 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
The concept of the Chosen People is fraught with difficulties. Historically, it has brought much grief upon the Jewish people. It also has led some Jews to develop chauvinistic attitudes toward non-Jews. Nonetheless, it is a central axiom in the Torah and rabbinic tradition, and we therefore have a responsibility to approach the subject forthrightly. In this essay, we will briefly consider the biblical and rabbinic evidence regarding chosenness. Read more