Samuel 13:1 tells us that Saul was one year old when he began to reign: “ben shana Shaul be-malcho.” If you look at the Soncino,

Reviewing: “My Father’s Paradise,” by Ariel Sabar. Algonquin Books. 2008. English. Hardcover. 325 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1565124905. This was one of the most interesting books that

Herzl had not envisioned Hebrew as the language of the Jewish state. In 1896 he wrote: “Who amongst us has a sufficient acquaintance with Hebrew

As part of the Sukkot hoshanot we recite the request “Ani Ve-Ho Hoshiah Nah.” This phrase originates in a statement by R. Judah at Mishnah

We have all heard the story of this prayer and R. Amnon of Mainz in the 10th century. The story is found in the Or

This is a good time to discuss this all-important word. There are two issues involved: 1) What is the meaning of the root PLL? 2)

We have all recited this simple word thousands of times in our prayers. But what does it mean? To give you some background, it appears

This psalm begins: “la-menatzeach al ayelet ha-shachar mizmor le-David.” What is the meaning of “ayelet ha-shachar”? Rashi here gives four interpretations, and Radak gives five!

Reviewing: Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism by Alanna E. Cooper, Indiana University Press, Paperback, 305 pages, 2012, ISBN-10: 0253006503. Did you ever

1. The word “nes” appears 21 times in Tanach in various forms. According to the Daat Mikra commentary on Ex. 17:15, in none of these

We all know the term “arei miklat.” The word “miklat” in various forms (miklat, ha-miklat, le-miklat, and miklato) appears 20 times in the Tanach, always

The Tanach has several words for stick: shevet, mateh, mishenet, and makel. What is the difference between them? Let us analyze the easiest one first,