In this week’s Torah portion Vayera the Eternal commands Moses to inform the Israelites that their bondage is about to end. Moses is supposed to convey the following message to them: [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I am the [Eternal]. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you […]

Thoughts on Parashat Shemot [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.” (Exodus 4:19)[/perfectpullquote] Such good news is conveyed by God to Moses in this week’s Torah portion. Of course this is not the […]

This week’s Parashah describes changes in the Israelites’ circumstances after the death of The Pharaoh who allowed them to settle in Egypt. Their situation continually worsens. Finally, Egyptian policies towards the Israelites are nothing short of genocidal. The decree that threatens the very existence of the Israelite people is described as follows: The king of […]

Thoughts on Parashat Vayigash In this week’s Parashat we find the continuation of the famous story of Joseph and his life in Egypt. Joseph puts his brothers who came to Egypt to one final test. He orders his brothers to bring him the youngest one, Benjamin, who stayed with their father, Jacob. Juda begs Joseph […]

Thoughts on the Parashat Miketz The Torah portion for this week contains the famous story of Joseph, Pharaoh and his dreams of seven fat cows that are swallowed up by seven lean cows, and of seven fat ears of grain swallowed by seven lean ears. Joseph interprets the dreams to mean that seven years of […]

When I was 13 or 14 years old, I really wanted to have a pair of Wrangler jeans. However, my parents thought they were relatively expensive, so they would buy me pairs of other, cheaper brands instead. Then they would spend the money thus saved to send me to an additional summer camp or to […]