The Basics of Hospitality
“…And he lifted his eyes and he saw, and behold, there were three men standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them…” – Bereishit 18:2 וישא עיניו וירא והנה שלשה אנשים נצבים עליו וירא וירץ לקראתם… – בראשית יח, ב In Parshas Vayeira, Avraham interrupts a visit from G-d Himself in order to host three passersby (angels disguised […]
Food of Fanatics
Og’s encounter with Avram while the latter was fulfilling the mitzvah of Matzah played a critical role in molding Og’s plans. That is why the Midrash states two seemingly unrelated facts about Og’s name and his motives in immediate succession. Matzah is called “food of faith” in the Zohar. Avram’s engrossment in this faith-building activity reflected his super-rational commitment to G-d, […]
Where Our Story Really Begins
The Torah gives us no introduction about Avram’s accomplishments in the first seventy-five years of his life, before telling us that G-d commanded him to leave his homeland (and promised him great rewards in return). Even a short description saying that Avram was a righteous person who found favor in G-d’s eyes, like the introduction given for Noach, is not […]
Floating (even) for Dummies
“….Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations….” (Bereishit 6:9) ״….נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו…״ – בראשית ו,ט According to the second opinion brought by Rashi, why does the Torah make a point of telling us that Noach was not objectively righteous (and was only regarded as such in comparison to the people of his time)? The Torah goes […]
Keeping Afloat
“…Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations…” – beraishis 6:9 נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו – בראשית ו, ט Parshas Noach opens with a short description of Noach: “He was a righteous man, perfect in his generations.” Why does the Torah qualify Noach’s righteousness as, “in his generations”? Rashi offers two explanations: “Some of our Sages interpret […]
The Inheritance
“…Moshe commanded us the Torah; it is the inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov…” – Devarim 33:4 תורה צוה לנו משה, מורשה קהלת יעקב – דברים לג, ד “From the moment your son knows how to speak, teach him [the verse], ‘Torah tziva lanu Moshe…’” (Rashi on Devarim 11:19; cf. Talmud, Sukkah 42a). Inheritance is spontaneous; to inherit requires no act or […]
The Climax
“……And all the great awe which Moshe performed before the eyes of all Israel…” – Devarim 34:12 ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל – דברים לד, יב Based on the Sifri, Rashi interprets the final words of the Torah, “before the eyes of all Israel,” as a reference to one of the darkest moments […]
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