BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON
The first mitzva given to the Jewish nation as a whole is in Parshat Bo, and it is about how they should determine the calendar, which under Jewish law is a cycle of lunar months. Why is this the first mitzva given to the Jewish people? And why was it given to them just before they were liberated from slavery? Rabbi Dunner offers a selection of ideas to explain the reasoning behind this unusual mitzva.
(For the SoundCloud audio, scroll down) In a letter dated November 1861, General George B. McClellan — newly appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as commander of the Union Army —... Read More