Jerusalem Insights

Moshe Kempinski We are told in the beginning of the torah portion of Behar ; “And HaShem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai ( Behar Sinai) saying, Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a … Read more

Moshe Kempinski The Torah portion of “Emor”begins with an unusual double use of derivatives of that word “Emor” “And Hashem said ( VaYomer) to Moshe: Speak (Emor) to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them:”( Leviticus 21:1). The repetitive use of the derivatives of the word “Emor” is deeply instructive. Maimonides maintains … Read more

Moshe Kempinski The Parshah of Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1–20:27) begins with G-d’s statement to the people of Israel: ” And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying,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 19:1-2). We see this concept repeated … Read more

Moshe Kempinski ( a reprint) We read in the Passover Haggada the following words; We were slaves (Avadim HaYinu) to Pharaoh in Egypt. And HaShem our G-d brought us out from there with a strong hand (Yad Chazaka) and an outstretched arm: And if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not brought our ancestors … Read more

Moshe Kempinski In last week’s haftara we read of the healing of Na’aman , general of Aram’s leprosy. That healing resulted in a great sanctification of G-d’s name; ” And he went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of God: and his flesh was restored … Read more

Therapeutic Malaise Moshe Kempinski The ailment called Tzaraat has been translated as the Leprosy we know of today that 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 physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise. “Hashem said to Moshe and Aaron, … Read more