field_of_work ephraim urbach
The Knesset (; lit . " the gathering " or " assembly "; "") is the unicameral national legislature of Israel . As the legislative branch of the Israeli government , the Knesset passes all laws , elects the President and Prime ___MASK65___ ( although the latter is ceremonially appointed by the President ), approves the cabinet , and supervises the work of the government . In addition , the Knesset elects the State Comptroller . It also has the power to waive the immunity of its members , remove the President and the State Comptroller from office , dissolve the government in a constructive vote of no confidence , and to dissolve itself and call new elections . The Prime ___MASK65___ may dissolve the Knesset . However , until an election is completed , the Knesset maintains authority in its current composition . The Knesset is located in Givat Ram , Jerusalem . The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the ___MASK42___ . They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses , printed , in almost all ___MASK42___ editions , on the outer margin and opposite Rashi ' s notes . A head of state ( or chief of state ) is the public persona that officially represents the national unity and legitimacy of a sovereign state . In developing the current Constitution of France ( 1958 ), former ___MASK51___ president Charles de Gaulle said the head of state should embody " the spirit of the nation " (""). In some countries , typically those with parliamentary governments , the head of state is a ceremonial figurehead that does not actually guide day - to - day government activities and may not even be empowered to exercise any kind of political authority ( e . g ., Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom ). In other countries , the head of state is also the head of government , such as in the U . S ., where the president is both a public figurehead and the actual highest ranking political leader who , in practice , oversees the executive branch . The President of the State of Israel (" Nesi HaMedina ", lit . " President of the State ") is the head of state of Israel . The position is largely a ceremonial figurehead role , with executive power effectively being exercised by the prime ___MASK65___ . The current president is Reuven Rivlin , who took office on 24 July 2014 . Presidents are elected by the Knesset for a seven - year term and are limited to a single term . Israel , officially known as the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East , on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea . It has land borders with Lebanon to the north , Syria to the northeast , Jordan on the east , the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west , respectively , and ___MASK92___ to the southwest . The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area . Israel ' s financial and technology center is Tel Aviv , while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem , although the state ' s sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem is internationally unrecognized . Ephraim Elimelech Urbach ( Hebrew :    ) ( born 1912 ; died 3 July 1991 ) was a distinguished scholar of ___MASK81___ . He is best known for his landmark works on rabbinic thought , The Sages , and for research on the Tosafot . He was an unsuccessful candidate to be President of Israel in 1973 . A professor of ___MASK42___ at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Urbach was a member and president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities . Reuven " Ruvi " Rivlin (; born 9 September 1939 ) is an Israeli ___MASK4___ and lawyer who has been President of Israel since 2014 . He is a member of the Likud party . Rivlin was Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003 and subsequently served as Speaker of the Knesset from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2013 . On 10 June 2014 , he was elected President of Israel . The ___MASK42___ ( Hebrew : ' " instruction , learning ", from a root ' " teach , study ") is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism . It is also traditionally referred to as , a Hebrew abbreviation of ', the " six orders ", a reference to the six orders of the Mishnah . The term " ___MASK42___ " normally refers to the collection of writings named specifically the ___MASK31___ "( ___MASK42___ Bavli )", although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem ___MASK42___ , or Palestinian ___MASK42___ "' "( ___MASK42___ Yerushalmi )". When referring to post - biblical periods , namely those of the creation of the ___MASK42___ , the Talmudic academies and the Babylonian exilarchate , Jewish sources use the term " Babylonia " long after it had become obsolete in geopolitical terms . Shlomo Yitzchaki ( 22 February 1040  13 July 1105 ), in , and today generally known by the acronym Rashi ( RAbbi SHlomo Itzhaki ), was a medieval ___MASK51___ rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the " Tanakh ". Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion , Rashi appeals to both learned scholars and beginner students , and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Jewish study . His commentary on the Talmud , which covers nearly all of the ___MASK31___ ( a total of 30 tractates ), has been included in every edition of the Talmud since its first printing by Daniel Bomberg in the 1520s . His commentary on Tanakh  especially on the Chumash (" Five Books of Moses ") is an indispensable aid to students of all levels . The latter commentary alone serves as the basis for more than 300 " supercommentaries " which analyze Rashi ' s choice of language and citations , penned by some of the greatest names in ___MASK1___ .