Bezalel Naor The Mysterious “Meir”: Rav Kook’s Missing Student Rav Kook’s Missing Student[1] Click here to read the article as a PDF file Recent years have seen a breakthrough regarding the elusive identity of “Monsieur Chouchani,” the mysterious vagabond who in the capacity of mentor, exerted such an incredibly profound effect upon the Nobel-laureate […]
Bezalel Naor Parashat Vayyigash The Psychology of the “Yitsra de-Sin’at Hinam” Part 1 We read in this week’s Torah portion of the rapprochement between feuding brothers, specifically Joseph and Judah. This theme is reflected in the Haftarah, the reading from the Prophets, which is designed to act as a mirror image of the Pentateuchal reading.[1] By […]
Bezalel Naor Father Jacob: A Godly Being? There is something extremely puzzling in this week’s Torah portion. Father Jacob commands his son Joseph not to bury him in Egypt but rather together with his fathers (in the Cave of Machpelah). Commenting on the words “Do not bury me in Egypt” (Genesis 47:29), Rashi writes: “So […]
“L’Exil de la Parole” “Exile of the Word” Bezalel Naor Parashat Shemot Shovavim Tat We begin this week a special period in the Kabbalistic calendar known as “Shovavim Tat.” This is an acronym for the Torah portions that we will be reading during this time span: Shemot, Va’era, Bo, Beshalah, Yitro, Mishpatim, Terumah, Tetsaveh. The […]
Parashat Va’Era Messages From G-d Bezalel Naor Parashat Va’Era The Torah Portion begins with a statement of God to Moses to the effect that in the past, God was revealed to the forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the name “El Shaddai,” but not by the name YHWH (which only in Moses’ time is […]
Parashat Bo The Enigmatic Existence of Evil Bo el Par’oh / Come to Pharaoh Bezalel Naor The Torah portion begins with the words “Vayyomer YHWH el Moshe, Bo el Par’oh” (“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come to Pharaoh’”).[1] Moses is commanded by God to appear before Pharaoh and demand that Pharaoh send free the People […]
Bezalel Naor The Tabernacle: A Virtual Erets Israel Vayakhel-Pekudei A major portion of the book of Exodus is taken up by a painstakingly detailed description of the construction of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) in the desert. The magnificent architecture has come to be associated with the name of Bezalel, the chief craftsman or artisan, the mastermind […]
BOOK REVIEW: The Genius Eliyahu Stern, The Genius: Elijah of Vilna and the Making of Modern Judaism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013). pp. xiv, 322. ISBN 978-0-300-17930-9 LETTER OF BEZALEL NAOR TO PROF. ELLIOT R. WOLFSON March 3, 2013 Elliot, Have you read the new book by Eliyahu Stern, The Genius: Elijah of Vilna and the Making […]