The Israel Bible

The Secret to True Brotherhood

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 2, 2023 | Shabbat, Vayechi, Parenting

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Without a doubt, the sweetest part of the Sabbath is blessing my children. My children are older and no longer live at home. But when we do gather together at the end of a busy week, placing my hands on their bowed heads, invoking God’s...

The First Rule of Parenting

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 14, 2022 | Shabbat, Va'etchanan, Education, Parenting

I’ll admit it. I like sleeping in on Shabbat. So when my precious ten-year-old son began nudging my shoulder at 6:00 AM on Saturday morning, I was tempted to roll over and hide under the blankets. But I didn’t. Being a parent is not a nine-to-five job, it is 24/7 and...

What Does it Mean to Be Holy?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 1, 2022 | Shabbat, Kedoshim, Holiness, Purity

Leviticus Chapter 19 begins with a deceptively simple commandment: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:2 There has been much speculation about this verse. At first glance, the imperative seems impossible as it requires the nation of...

The Yom Kippur Temple Service

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 25, 2022 | Shabbat, Yom Kippur, Acharei Mot, Holiness, Humility, Purity, Repentance, Temple

The Torah portion of Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16-18) describes the Temple service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Bible mandates 15 specific sacrifices and many other rituals for Yom Kippur, or Yom HaKippurim, outlined in Leviticus chapter 16. The literal...

The “Great Sabbath”

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 3, 2022 | Shabbat, Bo, Nisan, Passover, Redemption

The Shabbat that precedes Pesach (Passover) is called ‘Shabbat HaGadol’ (the big/great Sabbath). There are several reasons for this. According to Jewish tradition, the first Shabbat HaGadol was the last Shabbat (Find out more about the laws of Shabbat) that the Jews...

The True Day of Rest

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 27, 2022 | Shabbat, Community, God, Vayakhel

The fourth of the Ten Commandments instructs the Children of Israel to observe Shabbat on the seventh day because God Himself created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Exodus 20:8-11). This mitzvah (Torah commandment) is repeated in many places...