Moshe Kempinski 2 ) An Egyptian Take on the “New Middle East” Shavuot occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and is understood to be the day that the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. The date of Shavuot is not … Read more
Moshe Kempinski The book of Bamidbar or the Book of the Wilderness is the book describing the wilderness experience of the newly emerging people of Israel. It describes their challenges and their failures on the one hand and their persistence and courage on the other. As with all the words of Torah it also remains … Read more
Like a Mountain Moshe Kempinski The Torah portion of Behar begins with the words “And Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, saying,”( Leviticus 25:1) Why do we need to know that these words were spoken at Mount Sinai? We already knew where they were encamped. Rashi gives the following explanation; What special relevance does … Read more
Moshe Kempinski This is the day that Hashem made; we shall sing out and rejoice thereon.( Psalm 118:24) As we enter the month of Iyar , we begin the days of celebration for the establishment of the State of Israel, followed three weeks later by the day celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem. Yet there is … Read more
Moshe Kempinski The Torah portion of “Kedoshim” that is read this Shabbat in Israel declares the following ,seemingly impossible, declaration “Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, Hashem, your G-d, am holy.”( Leviticus 19:2) We continue to read of this concept several … Read more
Moshe Kempinski The very slavery that the Israelites endured in Egypt was actually part of a promise G-d made to Abraham. In that promise He promises the Land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants but implies that the formation of a people worthy of such a land will require a forging furnace. Egypt would be that … Read more
Moshe Kempinski The saga of the biblical Metzorah (spiritual Leprosy) is the saga of choices. Generally the Metzorah has lost his power of choice. He has become subjugated and enslaved by his anger, insecurities and jealousy. Those are the ingredients that led to the first murder in the Bible. Now it came to pass at … Read more
Moshe Kempinski We read in the Torah portion of the spiritual affliction called Tzaraat . Through the ages this affliction has been translated as the Leprosy we know of today which is known as Hansen’s disease. Yet the Tzaraat of the Bible was in fact not a physical disease at all. Rather it was a … Read more
