Category: Jerusalem Insights — Page 44 — Shorashim of the Old City

Egypt, Again

February 3, 2011February 3, 2011 by Moshe Kempinski

by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

How the country’s turmoil resonates with a striking biblical parallel.

The front-page stories in newspapers around the world today resonate with striking biblical parallel.

The land of the pharaohs is suddenly aflame with a movement of millions crying out for freedom from the oppression of a tyrannical regime. The same Egypt that millennia ago witnessed the rebellion of the Jews against their servitude seems to be replaying the story of the book of Exodus. Freedom is the mantra of the dissidents who want to bring to an end the despotic rule of Mubarak – just as it was the driving force behind the mission of Moses who wanted to bring about a better world for his people.

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, it’s déjà vu all over again.

Israelis gird for violent spillover of Lebanon crisis

January 26, 2011January 26, 2011 by Moshe Kempinski

By Sheera Frenkel JewishWorldReview.com |

Clinton suggests that U.S. aid and support could be at risk if Hezbollah goes too far

NORTHERN ISRAELI BORDER — (MCT) Security officials in Israel closely monitored the “day of rage” in Lebanon on Tuesday amid fears that political violence there could spill over into a new conflagration with Israel.

The Shepherd Hotel in Perspective”

January 21, 2011January 20, 2011 by Moshe Kempinski

by Arlene Kushner

Today I participated in a tour of eastern Jerusalem, which incorporated the Shepherd hotel of Sheikh Jarrah as well as part of the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood. Other commitments prevent me from doing justice, today, to relevant information regarding this area and its history that I want to share in a posting. And so this will come tomorrow.

Egypt Within Us

January 13, 2011January 12, 2011 by Moshe Kempinski

We see an unusual formulation in the text of our parsha ( Torah portion) that is almost universally translated in a fashion that is clearly different than what the Hebrew actually says.

It begins when the Egyptians set out to recapture the people of Israel”

Egypt ( Mitzrayim) chased after them and overtook them encamped by the sea every horse of Pharaoh’s chariots, his horsemen, and his force beside Pi hahiroth, in front of Ba’al Zephon ( Exodus 14:9)

It ends in the same chapter:

On that day the Lord saved Israel from the hand of Egypt ( Mitzrayim), and Israel saw Egypt ( Mitzrayim), dying on the seashore.31. And Israel saw the great hand, which the Lord had used upon Egypt ( Mitzrayim), and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in Moses, His servant.( ibid:30)

Masters of Time

January 7, 2011January 6, 2011 by Moshe Kempinski

We read in the book of Shmot, “This month shall be to you the head of the months” (Exod. 12:1).

Yet throughout Jewish history the Jewish new year or Rosh Hashana, has been viewed as occurring on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.That is the day that traditionally is understood as the day in which the world was created.

The Long Voyage

December 30, 2010December 30, 2010 by Moshe Kempinski

How long is the long voyage?. How circuitous must the road to redemption be?. How much patience must this people have to endure the perilous path of exile? These were the painful question that perplexed Moshe in Egypt when he cried out to G-d:

“O Lord! Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me? Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people.” ( Shmot 5:22)

G-d’s answer was harsh:

“And G-d spoke ( VaYidaber Elokim) to Moshe and said to him, ‘I am Hashem [ibid 6:2]

The Power In A Name

December 28, 2010December 23, 2010 by Moshe Kempinski

We read in Breishit:

“And out of the ground HaShem G-d formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.( Genesis 2:19)”.

The understanding of our sages of this verse has been that whatever Adam called the animal that was to be its spiritual essence as well. In a similar vein, the Holy Ari teaches that the name the parents choose for their baby is actually a ‘small prophecy’.The parents think they read or heard something that moved them to name their child in a certain way. Yet in fact it was prophetic inspiration that moved the parents to give the child the exact name that is destined for that child. That name then defines the child’s potential, direction or his or her challenge.

Making Real Changes

December 22, 2010December 16, 2010 by Moshe Kempinski

One of the clearest messages we glean from our biblical history is that great changes in the world result from the seemingly insignificant actions of a few men and women. Alexander the Great and his armies overran the world and yet he and his armies are gone. The Roman empire came saw and conquered ( Veni Vidi Vici) but are now a mere wisp of a memory. Hitler Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun murdered , pillaged and ravaged millions and are today but an embarrassing and putrid wound on mankind’s collective memory.