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 […]
What Does Not Go Up – Parashat Vayeishev
….And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father in law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep…” – Bereishit 38:13 ״…ויוגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו….״ – בראשית לח, יג Based on the Talmud (Sotah 10a), Rashi tells us that Timnah was situated on the slope of a mountain. We thus find that […]
A Mountain, a Molehill, or Your Most Important Next Step?
“…The serpent was cunning…” – Bereishit 3:1 והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה – בראשית ג, א According to the Midrash, G-d’s decree not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge applied only on the 6th day of Creation, the day that Adam and Chava were created. With the onset of Shabbos that evening, the prohibition would have been removed (see Bereishis […]
The New Perfect
“…And G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it he abstained from all his work that g-d created to do…” – Bereishit 2:3 וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹקִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים לַעֲשׂוֹת – בראשית ב, ג On the seventh day from the start of Creation, G-d rested from His creation […]
Judge My Actions, Not My Plans
“…And Yosef sustained his father and his brothers and his father’s entire household [with] bread according to the young children. – Bereishis 47:12 וַיְכַלְכֵּל יוֹסֵף אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיו לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף – בראשית מז, יב The Book of Tehillim (80:2) calls G-d “the shepherd of Israel… He who leads Yosef like flocks of sheep.” The Midrash interprets […]
Teshuvah: Accepting Personal Responsibility
“…And they said to one another, “indeed, we are guilty for our brother, that we witnessed the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen. that is why this trouble has come upon us.” and Reuven answered them, saying, “didn’t i tell you, saying, ‘do not sin against the lad,’ but you did not listen?” […]
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
The image of Yaakov’s face appeared to Yosef just moments before he succumbed to his master’s wife’s advances, says the Talmud, and ultimately saved him from sinning. The Talmud implies that this was more than just a reminder to Yosef of the ethical standards with which he was raised; rather, it was the appearance of Yaakov’s face that gave Yosef the courage […]
The Unsettled Jew – Parashat Vayishlach
Eisav’s move was motivated by very practical considerations. He knew that the Land of Canaan had been promised to the descendants of Avraham, but it came with a price tag. Whoever would inherit the Promised Land would first pay off the “family debt”: G-d’s decree that Avraham’s descendants would be “strangers in a land that is not theirs” (Beraishis 15:13). In […]
Eisav’s Yom Kippur – Parashat Vayishlach
By marrying a woman from the family of Avraham, Eisav sought to convince his parents that he was pursuing a more righteous life. Rashi (28:9) sums up Eisav’s hypocrisy, saying, “he added wickedness upon his wickedness, for he did not divorce his other wives.” Yet, in reference to this marriage of convenience, or even worse, this marriage of deceit, the […]
A Seat for G-d, A Stage for Mankind – Parashat Vayeira
Avraham’s prayers were granted. The location of the Akeida, the Binding of Yitzchak, was chosen by G-d as the place of the mizbei’ach, the altar in the Beis Hamikdash. The Beis Hamikdash would be designated as both the epicenter of Divine worship, “a House for G-d, prepared for sacrifices to be offered within,” as well as, “where we celebrate three […]
Your Brother’s Comfort is Your Own
“…On the third of Mar-Cheshvan, we begin the prayers requesting rain. r’ Gamliel says: on the seventh of the month—fifteen days after the festival of Sukkos—in order that the last jew might have reached the river euphrates…” – (Mishna, Taanis 1:3) בשלושה במרחשוון שואלים את הגשמים. רבן גמליאל אומר, בשבעה בו; חמישה עשר יום אחר החג, כדי שיגיע האחרון שבישראל […]
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