We all know that the root זמר has a “making music” meaning in Tanach. But three times it is used to mean “cut, prune” in

The last few words of “Maoz Tzur Yeshuati” are a request: “hakem lanu roim shiva—establish for us the seven רועים.” What does רועים mean here

First, I am going to discuss the text of Rashi on the Torah in general. Then, I am going to point out that a well-known

At Genesis 29:31, we are told that God saw that Leah was שנואה. The issue for this column is, “whether our forefather Yaakov really hated

The root הלל in Hebrew has three different meanings. We all know the meaning “to praise.” There is another meaning “to shine.” This meaning only

In several places, the Tanach describes Arabia as the source of spices in Jerusalem. At Kings 1:10, the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon: “The queen

Let us first discuss its author. We know his name because of the acrostic that runs through stanzas one through eight: Sh-L-M-H H-L-V-Y: The reference

Last week, I wrote about the Balfour Declaration of 1917. This week, I would like to give some further background about the preceding decades. (After

It is important for all of us to understand that our Jewish state is a planned result of the international agreements following World War I,

Here is the blessing to Reuven at Deuteronomy 33:6: “Yechi Reuven veal yamot, viyehi metav mispar.” Those last two words mean “few in number.” The