Beit Polska Blog

Thoughts on Parashah Vayishlach Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, and instructed them as follows, “Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord Esau, thus says your servant Jacob: I stayed with Laban and remained until now; I have acquired cattle, asses, sheep, and male […]

A few days ago I participated in a leadership seminar for young diaspora Jews studying in Israel. I shared my hotel room with a young French Jew who considered making aliyah after completing his programme. When he found out that I am a rabbinical student and that I write weekly drashot (sermons) on current Torah […]

In parashat Vayetzei we get to know two miserable sisters. The elder, Leah, is deeply depressed because her husband, Jacob, does not love her. She believes that birthing Jacob a son will make him love her. Her hopes are dashed when she sees that Jacob does not change his heart even after she has given […]

“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 […]

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 […]