A Most Noble Imperative
Avram had split from his nephew, Lot, after disputes between their two camps. Still, upon hearing that his nephew had been taken hostage, their disagreements faded into the background, and Avram felt...
View ArticleWhat a Difference a ‘Hey’ Makes
There are any number of outstanding events in Avraham’s life but one, in particular, marks him as an advocate for doing what is good and for seeking out justice in the world, setting the Jewish...
View ArticleThe Challenges of Aging
Like all of us, the patriarchs and matriarchs faced old age, death and the challenges of bringing meaning to life’s close. The parasha opens with the death of our matriarch, Sarah, and continues with...
View ArticleThe Long Arm of Justice and Mercy
Yaakov’s interactions with his brother, Esav, were anything but benign. He coerced his brother into giving up his birthright and later on, when their father, Yitzhak, was old and blind, he tricked his...
View ArticleMaking a Place for God
The very first evening of Yaakov’s sojourn to Haran was existentially and religiously loaded: And Yaakov left Beersheva and set out for Haran. And he came upon a certain place (vayifga bamakon) and...
View ArticleFrom Obscurity to Opportunity
The Torah is not short on obscure or anonymous figures who show up in the plot of stories without playing any special role. Of one such figure, we are told only of her death: And Devorah, Rivka’s...
View ArticleChallenged By History
The plotline which led the children of Israel into Egyptian exile and slavery can only be described as a tremendous family tragedy. Yosef’s fraught relationship with his brothers and their...
View ArticleThe Greatest Betrayal of God
Haftarah (Amos 2:6-3:8) The prophets were particularly sensitive about protecting God’s honor. This is why idolatry, in particular, perturbed them. But “religious” betrayal of God was not limited to...
View ArticleBasking in the Bright Lights
The Talmud, in a baraita, asks the question “Mai Hanukah – What is Hanukkah” and goes on to answer what has become the conventional answer to this question: The Sages taught [in a Baraita]: On the...
View ArticleDreams are Our Destiny
The significance of dreams is central to understanding the stories of Yosef. His own dreams adumbrated his rise to power and his role as his family’s leader and led his embittered brothers to sell him...
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