Understanding Yom HaZikaron
Yom HaZikaron is a day to stand in awe of those fighters who made a conscious decision to give their lives for the Jewish people’s national rebirth.
Rav Yehuda HaKohen is a West Bank Jewish organizer & educator. As a leader in the Vision movement, he works to empower students to become thought leaders & active participants in the current chapter of Jewish history. As part of Semitic Action, he organizes grassroots dialogue sessions for Palestinians & Israelis seeking to transcend competing one-sided narratives in favor of a more scientific analysis of what forces us into conflict.
Yom HaZikaron is a day to stand in awe of those fighters who made a conscious decision to give their lives for the Jewish people’s national rebirth.
It’s important to recognize the internal development of the Hebrew tribes from the Exodus from Egypt to the Brit Sinai and consecration of the Mishkan.
If Dan is the extreme expression of Yosef in the same way that Shimon is of Yehuda, what was the importance of appointing tribesmen of Yehuda and Dan to lead the construction of the Mishkan?
A mistake that nearly had catastrophic results for the entire people of Israel ultimately revealed Moshe’s true greatness as a national leader.
By submerging individual identity into the collective Hebrew nation, the kohanim work to cleanse the children of Israel from all transgressions and to inspire the people with a powerful show of kedusha.
What can the Mishkan teach us about the ways Divine revelation is channeled into our world?
How should we understand the difference between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah within the context of Israel’s identity and development?
Why were the Hebrews so surprised by the sudden realization that they would receive the Torah as a set of laws & a mission for the rest of humanity?
Between the smashing of Egypt’s military at the Sea of Reeds and the war against Amalek at Rephidim, the Hebrews had to develop a national perception of emuna in preparation for receiving the Torah.
What were the necessary steps for Israel to develop a national consciousness ahead of leaving Egypt?
The ten plagues were part of a deliberate process to educate not only Egypt and Israel but also humanity.
After despairing of a slave revolt, did Moshe seek to create a new nation in Midian to replace Israel?