Dr. Israel Drazin served for 31 years in the US military and attained the rank of Brigadier General. He has a PhD in Judaic Studies and a Masters Degree in psychology and a Masters Degree in Jewish Literature. He is an attorney and a rabbi.
He developed the legal strategy that saved the military chaplaincies when its constitutionality was attacked in court, and received the Legion of Merit for his service.
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly portion of Haazinu (chapter 32), the penultimate Torah’s ending, is “The Song.” In it, because he realizes the significance of his message, Moses reemphasizes the benefits and consequences derived from observing and disobeying the divine law. Jewish law generally requires, with few exceptions, two […]
Two Witnesses Prove God Exists Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Just as fights exist between religious Zionists, they exist among the Zealots. Judaism is destroying itself. Maggid Books in Israel has reprinted the original 1920 version of the classical mystical book “Orot” (Lights), by the famous Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook. The 2023 publication appears in
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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The parasha Shoftim (16:18-21:9) begins with Moses requiring the Israelites, “You must make judges and officers in every gate that Y-h-v-h gives you for your tribes. They must judge the people with righteous judgment. They must not show any [special] respect to anyone nor take gifts
Why Do We Need Judges? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — There are multiple changes in spellings and repetitions in Deuteronomy. This contradicts Rabbi Akiva’s view that God dictated the Torah to Moses, even every letter. He claimed that God is perfect and has no need to repeat what is communicated. If there is a change in
Disobedience to God’s Ways Has Consequences Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Dr. Micah Goodman says, “No,” in his new book, “The Last Words of Moses.” Deuteronomy is “a human document authored by Moses whose inclusion in the Bible lends it divine authority. Goodman is a Research Fellow of the Kogod Research Center at Shalom Hartman Institute in
Did God Dictate the Biblical Book Deuteronomy to Moses? Read More »
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By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — One of the ways rabbis and secular scholars acquire a deeper understanding of the Bible is by comparing the events in the story with events in other biblical tales. They also compare two Bible sections that use the same word. David Curwin does both in his
Comparing Biblical Stories With Other Tales Enhances Their Meaning Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — “The Koren Lev Ladaat Humash – Bemidbar” is a superb Bible commentary that is very enlightening. It is filled with information. It prompts readers to think and better understand the Bible. It has clear easy-to-see Hebrew text with the highly acclaimed Koren font and the readable
A Book That Prompts Us to Think Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — All we know about Shlomo ben Yitzchak of Troyes, France, known as Rashi, are his writings. We know no facts about his life. Much has been written about him, but it is all legends. It is commonly thought, for example, that he was born in the
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — I understand that Jewish laws are valuable because they help us learn how to behave and improve ourselves and society. “Values in Halakha” is by Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein (1933-2015). He was an eminent rabbinic scholar and teacher who served as one of the heads of
What is the Value of Jewish Laws? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Dr. Avigail Rock’s book (1971-2019) “Great Biblical Commentators,” is a very informative, eye-opening, thought-provoking introduction to 24 of the many rabbis and scholars who commented on the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. All of the many who did so could not be listed in the 426 easy-to-read
An Introduction to Jewish Biblical Commentators Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Rabbi Dr. Nachum L. Rabinovitch (1928-2020) authored “Pathways to Their Hearts,” an easy-to-read book by a renowned scholar about how we should think and live. His views are correct. They are based on the rational teachings of the “Great Eagle,” Judaism’s foremost philosopher Maimonides (1138-1204). Rabbi
How Should We Think and Live? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The second weekly biblical portion in the third Book of Moses is called Tzav. The Torah addresses the five types of sacrifices mentioned in the prior portion. In the former weekly portion, the focus was on the people bringing the offering. Here it contains instructions for
A Rational Understanding of Numbers and When Shabbat and Years Start Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Koren Press’ “The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel – Leviticus” follows its predecessors on the Biblical books Exodus and Samuel as a third outstanding biblical commentary. It contains a wealth of scholarly information written in an easy-to-read and interesting — even fascinating — fashion
A New Outstanding Commentary on the Biblical Book Leviticus Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The first weekly portion in the third Book of Moses is called Vayikra. The third book as a whole was initially called in Hebrew Torat Kohanim, “The law of the Priest,” since much of the book deals with the priestly functions of the family of Moses’
Some Rational Ideas About Vayikra and Sacrifices Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion