Tag: Constitution

  • Natural Redemption

    All the plagues in Egypt could be explained scientifically. This ties in with the concept of natural redemption. Nothing seems abnormal until you realize that there has been a change in the world.

  • Limiting the Power of the King

    While recognizing that a leader was needed, the Torah limits the power of the king. It is interesting to note that this passage was the basis for the constitutional limits on the president of the US.

  • Avoid Swearing In God’s Name

    The Torah admonishes us not to take God’s Name in vain. Many will go out of their way so as not to swear in God’s Name. It is a common Jewish tradition to say “without an oath” when we promise to do something.

  • The Constitution & The Bible

    פרשת שופטים / ה’ באלול תשפ”ב

    In this week’s portion we learn about the Biblical limits on the king. It is no accident that they match the limitations imposed on the American presidency in the US Constitution. It is important to remember that the most quoted book at the Constitutional Convention was the Book of Deuteronomy.

  • A God-Fearing Society

    פרשת ואתחנן – י”ד באב תשפ”ב

    Moses stresses that what we consider civil laws are really religiously basted law. That if the basis of law in a society is not God then the laws will break down and the results will be a dictatorship or anarchy, as we see from the difference in the results of the American and French Revolutions.

  • The American Roots of Israel

    פרשת חקת / ה’ בתמוז תשפ”ב

    When the Vilna Gaon (d. 1797) read the American Constitution, he was convinced that the redemption was beginning. Article 6 states that there be no religious test to hold office in the US. This meant that Jews were full and equal citizens of the country. This was unheard of before then. The Zionist movement can be traced to the Vilna Gaon’s understanding of US Constitution.

  • The US is Not Just Another Country

    פרשת חוקה / ד’ בתמוז תשפ”ב

    The Hebrew translation of the name of the US does not translate as “the United States” but as The Lands of the Agreement”. Hebrew is the only language that translates the US in this way. It is a recognition the US is not just another country but unique in the world with a special mission.