Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Torah from Bet El: Vaera

The Land Brings It All Together

Baruch Gordon looks at the Torah's language of redemption, which refers to the three-step process of the Exodus, the Torah, and the Land (of Israel).



Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Love (of Torah) in the Time of Corona

Unfortunately, many yeshivot have closed this year due to Corona. With immense help from G-d, the Bet El Yeshiva has not canceled even one day of Torah learning!

Naftali Bennett's Recurring Pre-Election Dilemma

by Nitzan Kedar, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel

The following analysis of the prospects and strategies of attaining unity in the national-religious-Zionist camp as we approach the Israeli elections was written several days ago in the Besheva newspaper. This was before Betzalel Smotrich announced that his new "Religious Zionism" party would not be running together with Naftali Bennett's "Yemina" [To the Right"] party. However, it is important to note that Smotrich qualified his remarks by stating that if Bennett "wakes up and returns to himself," the two could run together.

Naftali Bennett and Bezalel Smotrich (Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Before every Israeli election – the upcoming one will be the fourth one in the past two years – MK Naftali Bennett, head of the Yemina party, faces the same dilemma. On the one hand, he sees flattering national polls, which he interprets as a call to break out of the "religious Zionist" niche and actively run for Prime Minister – his long-coveted goal.

On the other hand, he sorely remembers the April 2019 elections, when he broke away from the religious-Zionist parties – and proceeded to receive insufficient votes to even get him into the Knesset! (The religious parties received five Knesset mandates.) This, of course, sent him running right back to his national-religious base.

Monday, January 11, 2021

Torah from Bet El: Bo

Why Jewish Holidays Are Celebrated Differently In Israel & Diaspora

Baruch Gordon looks at the concept of keeping two days of a holiday outside of the Land of Israel and keeping one day inside the Land of Israel. What is the deeper implication of this distinction and how can we apply the lessons to our lives today?