“Thereupon Jacob put his children and wives on camels; and he drove off all his livestock and all the wealth that he had amassed, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and […]
Thoughts on Parashat Toledot
In Parashat Toledot we see yet another of the stories for which Genesis, Bereshit, is so famous. You’re probably familiar with the basics of the story– Yitzhak and Rivka have two sons, the firstborn Ezav and the second-born Yaakov. Ezav is a man of the land, favored by Yitzhak , while Yaakov is described as […]
A Little Bit Of Romanticism
Thoughts On Parashat Chayei Sarah One could say that there are basically four types of romantic relationships between people: 1. The ones which are established quickly and end fast. 2. The ones which are established quickly and last for a long time. 3. The ones which are established slowly and last for a long time. […]
Thoughts on Parashat Vayerah
“[…] And he said, ‘I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?’ And He answered, ‘I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty.’ And he said, ‘Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?’ […]
The Diaspora and its Significance; Thoughts on Parashat Lech Lecha
“The LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” (Gen 12:1) According to Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, the history of Judaism begins with galut – exile. Abraham decided to go into exile, since there was no place for him in his […]
And God Created Vegetarians; Thoughts on Parashat Noach
“Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these. You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it. But for your own life-blood I will require a reckoning: I will require it of every beast; of man, too, will I require a reckoning […]