Torah from Zion [Hardcover]

Torah from Zion [Hardcover]
The Weekly Torah Portion from a Unique Perspective
By: Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz

Product Description
Divrei Torah, words of jerusalem were unique in their clarity because they were heard almost the same intensity as the nation expereienced at the foot of mount sinai.

Another unique characteristic of divrei torah coming from jerusalem was that same wonderful clarity that characterized am yisrael as it stood at mount sinai - unity. This rare and incredible unity led the nation to declare as one person with one heart "naasaeh venishma"-we will do and we will hear.

This unity made it possible for the nation to hear g-ds voice as one person Jerusalem shares the virtue and trait of unity as king david said: "the built up jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself" (psalms 122) and the talmud adds that "jerusalem is a city that connects jews to each other" (talmud yerushalmi)

Unity is an important ore-condition to learning torah. When jews would ascend to jerusalem hearts were joined in peace as one person with one heart they would request the welfare of jerusalem, Since the destruction of our temple we unfortunately are not privileged to hear the word of g-d emanating from jerusalem with that same incredible intensity we pray that the temple will be rebuilt speedily and that g-d will renew our days as of days gone by.

The western wall has been a spiritual focal point for all of am yisrael for centuries. At this place which stands for the temple of heaven which has surely never been destroyed every jew feels a deep connection to his father in heaven as well as a tremendous and powerful belonging to jewish history which is tied by the chain of generations to the site of the temple. Standing in front of the stones of the western wall all are equal. The historic unity from mount sinai is revealed again in our time at the foot of the one and only western wall.

The Creator of the universe has given me the privilege of serving as the rabbi of the western wall and holy sites. This is a huge privilege that carries with it the great responsibility of maintaining the historic unity that has always resided at this holy site a unity that even now that our temple is not standing is the secret of the western walls magic.

In these divrei torah i feel the ancient echoes of the unifying divrei torah that emanated from jerusalem in its glory. These divrei torah are made of ideas that empower their readers and connect them to the eternal.


Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz is the rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.

Binding: Hardcover
Language: English