The Torah commanded that the first fruits (bikkurim) be placed in a basket and brought to the site of the future Temple. There, the basket is presented to the kohen or priest and the owner recites a lengthy narrative (mikra bikkurim) which recounts the collective history of the People of Israel. The narrative commences with the tribulations […]
Messiah’s Donkey of a Thousand Colors To the State of Israel on Its Seventieth Birthday In Perek Helek, the final chapter of Tractate Sanhedrin (98a), famous for its discussions of eschatological issues, we find a focus on the speed of Messiah’s arrival (or lack thereof). Rabbi Joshua ben Levi juggles two sets of seemingly opposite prophecies. In the […]