Introduction Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av, is a day of mourning and fasting for Jews worldwide, commemorating the tragedies that befell the Jewish people on this day. A companion article on this web site “Tisha B’Av – History” discussed the historical development and significance of this day as well as …
Introduction This historical article covers the last 4 kings of Judah after the death of King Josiah and traces the decline of the Judean kingdom through: Loss of sovereignty. Exile. Destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The following table lists the names of these kings, their relation to King Josiah, years of reign from creation, …
Introduction The prophet Jeremiah (29:10) predicted that the Hashem would remember the Israelites after 70 years, “At the completion of 70 years of Babylon I (Hashem) will remember you, fulfill My (divine) good word toward you, and restore you to this place (Israel).” This enigmatic prophecy does not indicate the starting point of these 70 …
Introduction Hanukkah is an 8 day celebration commemorating the victory of the Israelites over the Seleucids in the 2nd century BCE. This holiday is marked by the lighting of candles for 8 consecutive nights to recall the miracle of the flask oil that had the capacity to burn for 1 night and miraculously burned for …
Introduction The Talmud (Megillah 7b) states, “A person (Israelite) is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai.” At a literal level this statement implies that a person should become totally drunk that he does not know right (i.e. …
Introduction The book of Esther recounts the deliverance of the Israelites from the genocidal decree of Haman through a mix of political intrigue and divine intervention. This article will focus on the main personalities of this story with particular emphasis on their roles in this divine plan and their names in Hebrew as expounded in …
Introduction Purim is a 1 day holiday which commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from the genocidal plan of Haman. Unlike the miracle of Hanukkah the Israelites did not achieve independence from their Persian masters. However after the death of the king Ahasuerus his son Darius II granted the Israelites permission to build the second …
Introduction Purim is a 1 day holiday which commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from the genocidal plan of Haman. Unlike the miracle of Hanukkah the Israelites did not achieve independence from their Persian masters. However after the death of the king Ahasuerus, his son Darius II granted the Israelites permission to build the second …
Introduction The Ten Commandments are universally known by their fundamental importance and awe-inspiring manner of revelation. This revelation was witnessed by all of the Israelites and therefore forms the cornerstone of Judaism. The Torah records two versions of this revelation (Exodus 20:1-14 and Deuteronomy 5:6-18). This article will focus on the verses in Exodus and …
Introduction Hanukkah is an 8 day holiday which commemorates the victory of the Israelites against the Syrian-Greeks resulting in restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and sovereignty for the Israelites. In addition this holiday celebrates the miracle of the cruise of oil which burned on the menorah for 8 days. This article discusses the holiday …
