Holidays and Festivals
As Israel and the United States dismantle the IRGC during the season of Purim, the parallels to the Book of Esther are astounding. A regime that vowed to destroy Israel has been undone. And this story may have deeper connections to the wicked Haman.
Holidays and Festivals
The story of Esther is about the hidden hand of Hashem. But hidden doesn't mean absent. Drawing on Esther Rabbah and other Midrashim, we explore how Divine providence operates through angels, accidents, and unseen nudges.
Torah
The book of Esther is truly fascinating, though its brilliance can easily elude us. Perhaps this is why the thematic thread running throughout the book can be summed up in the word "concealment".
Torah
What if the story of creation in Genesis isn’t the beginning, but a continuation? In this article, we explore the Rabbinic tradition on lost generations and earlier civilizations that may have existed before Adam.
Mussar
Drawing on the Mussar trait of Perishut (Abstinence), we explore the discipline of abstaining even from the permitted as a path to clarity, freedom, and holiness.
New Testament Insights
Though traditionally perceived as a break from Jewish tradition, Jesus’s arguments with certain Pharisees were well within Rabbinic legal norms. This article explores the Jewish legal and practical frameworks behind Gospel debates and how misunderstandings have shaped centuries of Christian reading.
New Testament Insights
From the Apostolic writings and the Tosefta, to Chasidic tales and modern accounts, the tradition of the life-giving rock that accompanied Israel in the wilderness highlights the continuous presence of G_D, while connecting with Messianic themes of redemption.
New Testament Insights
After the collective prophecy faded, Jewish tradition still spoke of a heavenly voice, the Bat Kol, calling out to us from above. From the Talmud to the Apostolic writings, learn how this tradition still speaks to us today.
Torah
Efraim Palvanov is an author, teacher, and speaker who blends deep Jewish tradition with his background in science. He is savvy, with degrees in biology and education, and even served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
New Testament Insights
What if the Pharisees weren’t the villains many were taught to hate? What if they served an important position in Jewish society, religious observance, and Biblical interpretative tradition that Jesus himself affirmed?
New Testament Insights
Peter’s vision in Acts 10 is often interpreted as evidence of the nullification of the Torah’s dietary laws. Yet a closer reading reveals a different story. Further, this episode reads like a Midrash on Gentile inclusion, shaped by Biblical imagery and a distinctly Rabbinic style of storytelling.
Mysticism and Spirituality
Jewish tradition envisions Heaven as a multi-layered realm. The seven Heavens, (Vilon, Rekia, Shechakim, Zevul, Ma’on, Machon, and Aravot) serve different functions in the cosmic order. And though many assume this to be Rabbinic innovation, the Apostolic writers share this understanding.