THE LEVIATHAN VS. THE BEHEMOTH THEIR BATTLE AND THE MEAL THAT FOLLOWS שור הבר ולויתן At Canada’s Wonderland, two of the region’s tallest and fastest amusement rides can send thrill-seekers plunging in an 80-degree drop from a towering 306 feet, reaching speeds over 90 mph! The Leviathan and Behemoth, as they are called, are named for legendary creatures, symbols of colossal scale and immense power. Long before they became roller coasters, the Leviathan and the Behemoth are ev

GRAND ENTRANCE GLIDING OF CLOUDS, OR RIDING A DONKEY ענני שמיא ורוכב על החמור The legend of the unicorn, believe it or not, makes its appearance in Jewish literature. One of the sources of the colorful pelts used as the upper layers of the desert Tabernacle was the tachash, described by the Midrash as a one-horned animal with multi-hued skin. Other animals of mythic nature are recorded in our vast tradition, but it is the plodding, utilitarian donkey that is tied with the adv

MESSENGER OF REDEMPTION ELIYAHU AND THE LAST STEPS OF EXILE אליהו הנביא The damaged shell of the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in the Jobar suburb of Damascus carries the unbelievable history of the Jewish people over millennia. A plaque at the entrance traces the Beit Knesset’s provenance to the time of the First Temple. According to local legend, the synagogue is built over the cave where the prophet Eliyahu anointed his student Elisha to succeed him. This is not the only synag