Two Aspects

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1. Moshe's Prayer – Before or After the Sin of the Golden Calf?

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moshe prays and asks God to forgive Bnei Yisrael. According to Parashat Ki Tisa, Moshe prayed before he descended from the mountain. However, according to Parashat Eikev, Moshe prayed after he descended, saw the Golden Calf, broke the tablets and climbed the mountain a second time. When did Moshe pray? Why does the Torah describe this event in two different ways? Did God really contemplate destroying the nation altogether?

2. The Two Consecrations of Moshe

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   Why is Moshe sent on his mission to Egypt twice? The second consecration includes a new and important element: God's covenant with the forefathers. The covenant is mentioned here, and not previously, because of the change in Moshe's attitude toward the redemption of Bnei Yisrael. He now understands that the reasons behind the redemption involve more than morality: they are embedded in a historical - national covenant.

3. The Two Functions of the Parokhet

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   There are several discrepancies between the commandment to build the Mishkan in Parashat Teruma, and the implementation in Parashat Vayakhel and Pekudei. This lesson will discuss the contradictions and distinctions between the two descriptions of the Parokhet (the screen), and show how they relate to the its various functions.

4. The Two Dimensions of Yom Kippur

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   What is "mikra kodesh"? Why is the parasha of Yom Kippur written is dual form? What is the relationship between Yom Kippur in and outside of the Mishkan? What is the relationship between Yom Kippur and Shavuot?

5. "When You Kindle the Lamps"

   Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

   Why is the Menorah discussed on three different occasions in the Torah? What is the significance of the Menorah in the context of its appearance in Bemidbar? An analysis of the appearances of the Menorah and the oil throughout the Torah demonstrates that the lighting of the Menorah holds special significance, symbolic of the relationship between the nation of Israel and the Mishkan - a relationship that is expressed in the book of Bemidbar as well.

6. "At That Time Hashem Distinguished the Tribe of Levi"

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   The selection of the Leviim includes two aspects: Secondary assistance to the primary servers of God – the Kohanim - and primary servers of God on the basis of their actions at the sin of the Golden Calf. The second aspect is prominent in the description of the Leviim in the Book of Devarim, despite the fact that it has no practical implication.

7. Tanakh and Archaeology

   Part 6 - Yehoshua and the Conquest of the Land of Israel

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   The conquest of the land of Israel is described at length in Sefer Yehoshua, and the conventional view, based on a superficial reading of the text, is that the process was completed in a short time, as was the subsequent process of the settlement of the tribes of Israel. This view was accepted among archaeologists of the previous generation. However, more recent developments have made clear that the approach that treats the conquest and settlement of the land as a uniform, quick phenomenon, contradicts the archaeological findings in several respects.

   These more recent findings offer support for the picture created by a more comprehensive and careful reading of the biblical account of the settlement of the land in which while there is a literary aim to describe a short process attributed entirely to Yehoshua, but in fact other descriptions in the Bible show that it was a lengthy process.

   The archeological theories surrounding Jericho and Ai are examined.