e-TiM: From King Cyrus to Lord Balfour: The Biblical Texts of the Temple Period

Topics to be Discussed 

Part 1: Introduction: The Biblical definition of a 'Messianic' time period ( "reishit tzmichat geulateinu"): The famous Cyrus Declaration- and its historic and prophetic setting, including an brief overview of the Biblical books that discuss the time period of Ezra, Chagai & Zecharya

Part 2: Yeshayahu chapters 40-48: Who's the prophet and who's the audience? Can an Orthodox Jew entertain the possibility of more than one Isaiah, and can a Relgious Zionist deny it?

Part 3: Yirmiyahu's prophecy of "the 70 years" and its ramifications during the time period of "Shivat Tzion"

Part 4: The book of Ezra--why it is often misunderstood (and rarely studied). And why it should become part of the core-curriculum in our Jewish Education

Part 5: Is the Jewish year really 5781? How the Biblical books of shivat tzion became its source (and the reason for the controversy)

Part 6: The book of Chagai, and the Biblical roots of how and when we celebrate Chanuka

Part 7: From the concept of 'House for God' in Sefer Breishit, to the desire to rebuild the Temple in Sefer Zecharya

Part 8: How the book of Chronicles 'sets the stage' for understanding the prophetic purpose of the book of Ezra

Part 9: Zecharya chapters 1-6: The vision of the Menorah and the special relevance of the Haftara for Chanuka, as well as exploring it as the symbol of the modern state of Israel

Part 10: Zecharya chapters 7 & 8:  the reason for the 'Four Fasts' commemorating Jerusalem's destruction

Part 11: Chapter 6 & 7 in Sefer Ezra in Light of Chapter 7 & 8 in Sefer Zecharya

Part 12: The 'missing years' of the Second Temple Period & their 'prophetic' Purpose

Part 13: Ezra’s Aliyah, what he found and what he accomplished [Ezra chapters 7-10] :

Part 14: Nechemya’s Aliyah, what he found and what he accomplished

Part 16: Who was Achashverosh of Megillat Esther, and why it makes a difference

Feb. 7, Part 17: Megillat Esther and its Prophetic Purpose

Feb. 14, Part 18: Was Amalek Still Around in the Second Temple Period?

Feb.  21, Part 19: Re-examining Megillat Esther & Shushan Purim in Light of Zecharya

Feb. 28, Part 20: Was the Holy Land "Holy" During the Time of Ezra-Nechemya?

March 7, Part 21: The ‘New Deal’ in Nechemya, Chapters 8 through 10

March 14, Part 22: “V’hi sh’amda…”: The evolving concept of ‘redemption’ as reflected in our Haggadah

March 21, Part 23: Re-examining “Arami Oved Avi” & MAGID in light of our study