At the End, Who Came First?

Removing Tradition (and Openness) from Traditional

Gentile Involvement in Our Affairs Does Not End Well

Israel's International Relations in the Bible

The Difficulties Involved in Waking Up – as in the Days of Yore

The Difficulties Involved in Waking Up – as in the Days of Yore

Despite All, This Is the Beginning of Our Redemption

Of late we have been hearing increasingly more voices, including those of important Torah scholars, saying that we should stop speaking in terms of contemporary Redemption. These "doubters" claim that we cannot base our "theory" that we are experiencing a form of Redemption on the Talmudic passage that states: "Rabbi Abba says: There is no clearer sign of Redemption than the blossoming of the fields and orchards in Israel, as is written (Yechezkel 36,8), 'You, o mountains of Israel, you will sprout branches and give forth fruits for My nation Israel – for they are coming [home] soon!'" First of all, this is just one Talmudic passage out of many… But can the firm confidence with which Rabbi Abba expressed himself enable any of us to cast doubt on his words? If they would bring evidence to the contrary, that would be one thing. But to cast doubt on the relevance of his position, together with veiled accusations of "false Messianism" – is that a serious position to take?

The Chief Rabbinate Is 100. Has It Fulfilled Its Goals?

To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, let us return to the original intentions of its founder, Rav Kook – who knew that bridging the gaps between the vision and its implementation would not be easy.