Covenant between God and Israel

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  1. What Type of Relationship is a Brit?

    Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman

    תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | |

    The Tanakh uses many paradigms to describe the relationship between Hashem and Am Yisrael, among them Av, Ro'eh, and Melekh. But just what does it mean that Hashem is a "brit partner" with us? In this shiur we will see how the Torah patterned our relationship with Hashem after a special type of relationship that existed between kings in the ancient world: the relationship of a vassal king to a soveriegn king, in a way that sheds new light on our Avodat Hashem.

  2. The Two Great Covenants: Sinai and Moab

    Rabbi Dr. Daniel Tropper

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |

    The covenant between G-d and Israel is a basic underpinning of the Jewish tradition. The Torah contains two covenants: one immediately after the exodus, and one immediately preceding entering the Land of Israel. Why is the covenant repeated twice? What can we learn from a comparison of the two?  And what is the relationship between these covenants and the covenant with Abraham?

  3. The Covenant of Love Between God and Israel

    Prof. Jonathan Grossman

    Parashat Eikev begins in the middle of a literary unit that starts at the beginning of Va'ethanan. The unit is an introduction to the covenant between God and Israel, and includes the main principles of the covenant.

  4. God's Covenant With Israel

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The covenant in Parashat Eikev seems to contain a contradiction: the covenant seems to imply that the nation's descendants are not obligated by the covenant, but the covenant also clearly states that it is not only for the current generation, but for future generations as well.

  5. Slavery

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    Yirmiyahu does not dwell on the damning social issues of his generation; instead he focuses on idolatry and battles against those who leave God. What, then, is the reason behind the prophecy relating to slavery? This haftara demonstrates how the social issue of slavery is a sin against God: taking slaves is a flagrant violation of the unique covenant relating to slavery, and this is the reason behind the severe punishment.

  6. Chapter 24:Yehoshua's Final Address

    Rabbi Michael Hattin

    This lesson will analyze the final chapter of Yehoshua, which describes Yehoshua’s final words to the nation before his death. What is most remarkable about Yehoshua's address is that he has distilled his presentation of the rich and full account of Israelite history into a single irreducible notion: be counted among those who follow God and faithfully fulfill His commands in order to succeed and prosper, or else abandon Him and His ways to betray Israel's unique destiny and perish.

  7. The Testimony of Ha'azinu

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 31 minutes

    What is the purpose of the text of Haazinu and the "heavens and earth" serving in a witnessing capacity? Haazinu presents divine justice - and reminds Bnei Yisrael that the "measure for measure" horrors during a time of "Hester Panim" - times when God hides His Face - are still bracketed by past and future Divine healing. Haazinu, juxtaposed with the "Luchot Ha-Edut" (Tablets of Testimony) is a testament to the eternal and lasting covenantal connection between God and Israel.

  8. Eliyahu in Horev (Part 3)

    The Double Revelation of God's Angel to Eliyahu (Part 2)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Eliyahu flees from his mission and from his nation. Against his will, Eliyahu’s legs carry him to the wilderness, to the exact spot where the historical foundations of the nation lie – Mount Horev. Mount Horev is meant to remind Eliyahu of Israel's merit before God, for having accepted His Torah at this mountain and having entered into a covenant with Him. Does Eliyahu accept this lesson?

  9. Sefer Devarim, the Most ‘Misunderstood’ Book of the Bible

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    תאריך פרסום: תשסט | |

    What is the purpose of Sefer Devarim? Rabbi Menachem Leibtag challenges the popular assumption that Sefer Devarim is a ‘review’ of the rest of Chumash, and proves that, in fact, Sefer Devarim is a crucial ending to the Chumash. By examining the progression from Sefer Shmot all the way to Devarim, we can see that Devarim is not a historical review; rather it details how Am Yisrael must become a nation representing God, utilizing a whole new set of laws, once they enter the land of Israel. 

  10. What is a "Covenant"?

    Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman

    תאריך פרסום: תשסט | | 59 minutes

    What is a covenant? How does it describe our relationship with God? What does it mean that God is a "brit partner" with us? Using archeological findings from the ancient Near East, Rabbi Josh Berman shows how the Torah patterned our relationship with God after a special type of covenant that existed between kings in the ancient world - the relationship of a vassal king to a sovereign king. Examining our relationship with God from this perspective allows us to appreciate the unique covenant based on loyalty and gratitude that each of us as individuals has with God.

  11. Parshat Bo

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    Already four hundred years before the Exodus, Pessah was celebrated in the city of Sdom! According to Rashi, Lot baked matzot, because his guests arrived on Pesach. At first glance, this statement seems rather absurd, for what possible meaning could there be in commemorating an event which had not yet taken place! While examining the purpose and significance of the Korban Pesach, we uncover the fundamental biblical theme of "Yom Hashem". This theme helps us understand the relationship between the destruction of Sdom and the process of Yetziat Mitzraim.

  12. The Prophetic Purpose of Sefer Yehoshua

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag |

    Did Yehoshua fulfill God's command to capture the land promised to Am Yisrael? Through an analysis of the promise that God made to Yehoshua and to Moshe we learn about the acceptance of the covenant, and about Sefer Yehoshua as a book of prophecy rather than of history. 

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

  13. Shabbat in the Book of Yirmiyahu

    Rabbi David Sabato

    In this unique prophecy, Yirmiyahu discusses the breach of the covenant of Shabbat. While the Torah and other prophecies connect immorality with the destruction of Jerusalem, Yirmiyahu stresses the importance of the observation of Shabbat as a condition for the people's continued existence in their country due to its nature as a national covenant with a most public nature. This prophecy is compared the prophecy in chapter 7, as well as to the prophecies of the other prophets regarding Shabbat. 

  14. The Book of Yehezkel

    Introduction

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    The Book of Yehezkel covers a fateful period of some 22 years in the history of the Jewish People: beginning with year five of the exile of King Yehoyakhin and ending fifteen years after the Destruction of the First Temple. As opposed to other prophets, Yehezkel's prophecies are conveyed in Babylon and grapple with the contemporaneous crisis from a Diaspora vantage point.

    The purpose of Yehezkel's prophecies – in the years preceding the Destruction – was to inform the people that God had departed from His Temple in Jerusalem. He therefore describes in detail the Divine chariot and the journeys of God's glory outside the Temple.

    Yehezkel presents the view of the "inhabitants of Jerusalem," who say that the exiles have distanced themselves from God and from His Land, and that they are not counted among the inheritors of the land and those close to God. God's response, however, conveyed through the prophet, is that while those taken in captivity are currently in exile, God is with them there, as a "miniature Temple". For the first time, the prophet affirms the Jewish identity of the exiles: they remain part of God’s nation, even though the Jews still living in their homeland have a different view, and maintain that God's place is still in the Temple in their midst.

    Both groups, the inhabitants in the land and those exiled to Babylonia, despite their differences, have this in common: neither changed its behavior during these years. Thus, Yehezkel's prophetic mission during these years was not to call upon the people to mend their ways and repent, but rather to explain the significance of the events in Jerusalem, and thereby to prepare the ground for the prophecies of rebuilding which came after the Destruction, as well as the vision of the future Temple.

  15. The Biblical Background for the Nation’s Sins

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    The prophetic message in Yehezkel chapter 6 is that at this point in time, the nation is being punished for the deeds depicted in Vayikra 26. What they are suffering now is what was defined in Vayikra as the punishment for those sins. The verses of rebuke in Vayikra are linked to the situation in Yehezkel’s prophecy by describing the people’s sins with the same expressions that appear in Sefer Vayikra. These expressions are not common in Tanakh; therefore their very mention causes the warnings and punishments set down in Sefer Vayikra to echo in the ears of Yehezkel’s listeners.

    However, there seems to be more of a link between our prophecy and Sefer Vayikra – this time, on a more optimistic note. Chapter 26 of Sefer Vayikra makes mention of God’s covenant with His people right after the rebuke for their unspeakable deeds. Even when the nation’s actions causes a rift between itself and God, the covenant forged between them will stand the nation in good stead and protect them, even in the most difficult times.

  16. Devarim 10: What Does God Want from Us?

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

  17. Can the People Keep the Covenant?

    Rabbi David Sabato

  18. Redemption: Return, Rebuilding and a New Covenant

    Rabbi David Sabato

  19. The Renewed Covenant

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

  20. Of Concealed and Revealed

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman |

    Verse 28, the final verse of Chapter 29 in Devarim states that "that which is concealed is for God, and that which is revealed is for us and for our children – to follow the words of the Torah." What is meant by “concealed things”? What are revealed? To untangle this perplexing verse, we examine the wider context in which it appears: The people are gathered to be brought into a “covenant and a curse” before entering the Land of Israel. The curses mentioned within beg for a comparison with the curses to be recited at Mount Eival (Eibal), as well as to the story of Akhan in the Book of Yehoshua. We are then able to uncover fundamental notions of corporate responsibility and partnership in Parashat Nitzavim.

  21. The Curse of Concealed Sins

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

  22. Commitment to God

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    Much of the content of Parashat Nitzavim, relating to the message of sin and punishment, seems to have been covered already last week in Parashat Ki Tavo. In what way does Parashat Nitzavim break new ground, and what can we learn from this about the nature of our covenant with God?

  23. Commitment to God (Audio)

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 15 minutes

    Much of the content of Parashat Nitzavim, relating to the message of sin and punishment, seems to have been covered already last week in Parashat Ki Tavo. In what way does Parashat Nitzavim break new ground, and what can we learn from this about the nature of our covenant with God?

  24. Mordechai and Esther

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein | Hour and 8 minutes

    What makes Purim a special yom tov and why is it a day of festivity and celebration? Why is Purim unique as opposed to other days of Jewish salvation? Why is the megilla called Megillat Esther and not Megillat Mordechai? A close examination of the Purim story within its historical context provides answers to these questions, by understanding Purim as a celebration of the renewal of the covenant between Israel and God. 

  25. Na'aseh Ve'nishma & Sefer Habrit: What Did We Know & When?

    Rabbi Moshe Shulman

    תאריך פרסום: תשעד | |

    Every year on Shavuot we talk about the significance of the fact that when Bnei Yisrael were offered the Torah, they said "Na'aseh venishma" - "we will do and we will listen." Why are we so enthralled by this, and are we really so enthralled by the acceptance of the Torah before even knowning what the Torah said?

     When did Bnei Yisrael make this declaration - before the Torah was given, afterward, or something else?  From where does the "gvura" of this declaration come from? And what does was the "Sefer haBrit" that came up in the Covenant of the Basins?

     

  26. Doing and Hearing

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

    One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterise Jewish faith as a whole. It consists of two words: na’aseh venishma, literally, “we will do and we will hear”. What does this mean and why does it matter?

    Through an examination of the text we learn about community and individuality, and the difference between na’aseh and nishma. We respond to God’s commands “with one voice”, yet we hear God’s presence in many ways- for though God is One, we are all different, and we encounter Him each in our own way.

     

    This article is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

  27. Doing and Hearing (Audio)

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | 9 minutes

    One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterise Jewish faith as a whole. It consists of two words: na’aseh venishma, literally, “we will do and we will hear”. What does this mean and why does it matter?

    Through an examination of the text we learn about community and individuality, and the difference between na’aseh and nishma. We respond to God’s commands “with one voice”, yet we hear God’s presence in many ways- for though God is One, we are all different, and we encounter Him each in our own way.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

  28. Short Thoughts on Nitzavim - The Eternal Words

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 6 minutes

    This year, Nitzavim is the parsha read on the Shabbat right before Rosh HaShana. There is an interesting repetition of “today" in this parasha. It is a reminder that the covenant is  eternal -not merely timeless, but relevant for each of us, every day.

  29. Bechukotai: Coming Home

    Rabbi Jay Kelman

  30. The Second Luchot and the Thirteen Middot

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour

    The Thirteen Middot (or the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy) occupy a very prominent position in Jewish liturgy, constituting a central part of Slihot, as well as the Torah reading on Fast days. Wh was this chosen? What singular theme did the Sages find expressed specifically here?  I believe the solution lies in a deep appreciation of the Scriptural context of the Thirteen Middot.

    We will examine this section in order to achiveve a more profound understanding that will hopefully lead to a more informed, inspired, and meaningful avodat Hashem whenever we recite Slihot.  We will also come to appreciate the added significance of Yom Kippur as the day that Israel received the Second Divine Tablets, the day that the covenant is renewed and completed, and the day that Israel first experiences the Thirteen Middot, as they achieve atonement before God - as they behold the Divine Presence.

  31. God's Rod and Staff - Churban and the Covenant

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | 3 minutes

    When thinking about sin, exile, the Hidden Face of God, and God's eternal covenant with Israel, we can draw inspiration from a line in Psalms 23. Both God's shevet (rod) and mish'enet (leaning-stick) are comforting. Though God's rod symbolizes anger and punishment, both the shevet  and the mish'enet signify that God is present. Though God warns at the end of Devarim that He will "Hide His Face" (as it were), the covenant with the Jewish people is eternal, and God never really leaves them. God is still there, upholding the covenant.

  32. “If” – A World of Conditional Obligations

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  33. Creating a Model Society: Torah and the Davidic Kingdom

    The Structure & Story of Book I

    Dr. Beni Gesundheit | 57 minutes

    Unit II, Tehillim 15-24

    Tehillim 15-24, the second unit in Book 1, form a chiastic structure around its central mizmor, Tehillim 19. These mizmorim also provide a response to the problem of evil expressed in unit 1. Tehillim 19 poetically praises the Torah and its contribution to man. The contextual interpretation will be used to show how parallel verses in proximal chapters surrounding this mizmor reinforce the concept of our commitment to God, from nature which sings and praises God and the psalmist who describes his responsibility to Torah.