“…And he saw the wagons that yosef had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived. and Yisrael said: “it is much; yosef my son is still alive; i will go and see him before i die.” – Bereishis 45:26-27 וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם: וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עוֹד […]

“…He sent Yehuda ahead of him to yosef, to prepare goshen in advance…” – Bereishit 46:27 ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורת לפניו גשנה ויבאו ארצה גשן – בראשית מו, כח Yaakov sent Yehuda to Egypt to establish a place of Torah study and education in Goshen before the rest of the family arrived. Why was it necessary for […]

“….And he fell on his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept, and Binyamin wept on his neck….” – Bereishit 45:14 ״….ויפל על צוארי בנימין אחיו ויבך ובנימין בכה על צואריו…״ – בראשית מה, יד When Yosef and Binyomin were finally reunited, they fell on each other’s necks in embrace and wept. Rashi explains that Yosef and Binyomin cried because they prophetically […]

“….And he had him ride in his chariot of second rank, and they called out before him, ‘Avrech – The king’s patron’ – Appointing him over the entire land of Egypt….” – Bereishit 41:43 ״….וירכב אתו במרכבת המשנה אשר לו ויקראו לפניו אברך ונתון אתו על כל ארץ מצרים….״ – בראשית מא, מג Rashi cites an alternative interpretation for the […]

Rashi’s parable of a person searching for a pearl lost in the sand also alludes to the Jewish people’s task in the lands to where we have been exiled: to sift through “the settlements of Eisav.” The search for the pearl symbolizes our mission to find the holiness—the G-dly meaning and potential—hidden within the mundane world with which we are […]

The barrier that Yaakov formed around his head was obviously not the only protection he was relying upon, as it left the rest of his body still exposed. It’s possible that Yaakov didn’t erect a blockade around his body because he trusted that G-d was protecting him, but if so, why did he take extra measures to guard his head? […]

In the story of Purim, the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people came about through Esther’s position as queen over 127 provinces, which the Midrash links to the 127 years of Sarah’s life. The correlation drawn by the Midrash is certainly not only a numerical parallel. Rather, the matching numbers serve to indicate that there is a common theme shared […]

“…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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

“….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 […]

“…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 […]

“…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 […]

“……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 […]

“…And he shall remove the linen garments that he had worn when he came into the Holy, and there he shall leave them…” – Vayikra 16:23 וּפָשַׁט אֶת בִּגְדֵי הַבָּד אֲשֶׁר לָבַשׁ בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְהִנִּיחָם שָׁם – ויקרא טז, כג On the words “and there he shall leave them,” Rashi comments that the Yom Kippur garments of the Kohen […]

“…And he shall confess upon it all the willful transgressions of Bnei Yisrael…” – Vayikra 16:21 וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – ויקרא טז, כא One of the essential components of the Yom Kippur service – the Kohen Gadol’s as well as the individual’s – is Vidui, to confess one’s sins verbally before G-d, asking for His forgiveness. […]

“…And g-d spoke to Moshe on that very day, saying. ascend this mount Avarim [to] mount Nevo…” –  (Devarim 32:48-49) וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר: עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר נְבו.ֹ.. – דברים לב, מח-מט Rashi notes that in three places the Torah employs the phrase, בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, which literally means, “at the strength of this […]

“…But I, hide, I shall hide my face on that day…” – Devarim 31:18    ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא – דברים לא, יח In Parshas Vayelech, G-d foretells that the Jewish people will one day stray after foreign gods, and His fury will rage against them and many troubles will befall them. “But I, hide, I shall hide My face […]

“…But not only with you am I making this covenant and this oath, but with those standing here with us today before Hashem our God, and with those who are not here with us, this day…” – Devarim 29:13-14 וְלֹא אִתְּכֶם לְבַדְּכֶם אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת אֶת הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְאֶת הָאָלָה הַזֹּאת: כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ עֹמֵד הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי ה’ […]

“…..You are all Standing today before G-od, your G-od: the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel, your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp, both your woodcutters and your water drawers.