Parshat Vayeshev תשפ”ו This week’s portion relates the events leading up to Yosef becoming the Viceroy of Egypt. Hashem had told Avraham Avinu at the ברית בין הבתרים - the covenant between the parts--that his children would be slaves for…
The Ramban prefaces his commentary to the second book of the Torah, Shemot, by writing. השלים הכתוב ספר בראשית שהוא ספר היצירה בחדוש העולם ויצירת כל נוצר, ובמקרי האבות כולם שהם כעין יצירה לזרעם, מפני שכל מקריהם ציורי דברים לרמוז…
In Parshat Vayetzei, Yaakov transitions from being “only” Isaac’s son to become the third and choicest of our three forefathers. At age 63, his holy parents send him to seek a wife to begin to establish the Jewish nation.…
Parshat Toldot תשפ"ו Yitzchak and Rivka had been married for 20 years and had not been blessed with a child. Our Sages tell us that they were physically unable to do so. Yitzchak, who had established a completely different pathway…
Yitzchak was 40 years old, and it was time for him to get married and continue the legacy that Avraham began. Avraham lived in Canaan, inhabited by the descendants of Noach’s grandson Canaan. Because Noach cursed Canaan, all of the…
The Torah tells us (Genesis 18:20) that the people of Sedom and Gomorrah were very evil. (כ) וַיֹּאמֶר יְדֹוָד זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד (כא) אֵרְדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה…
Lech Lecha תשפ"ו This week's portion introduces us to Avraham Avinu, Avraham our forefather, whose dedication to Hashem was so great that he made it his life’s mission to teach the world about Him. Hashem, in turn, loved Avraham…
Although this coming Shabbat we will read parshat Noach, we will focus here on an earth-changing event that occurred in last week’s parsha, Bereshit, viz, the cold-blooded murder of Hevel by his brother Kayin. The Midrash Rabba (Esther 10) records…
Tomorrow night is Yom Kippur, and Jews the world over will be standing in Shul begging Hashem to forgive their sins. If one has tentatively received a negative judgment on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, if properly observed, can repeal it.…
Rosh Hashanah II תשפ"ו The Mishna in Rosh Hashanah (1:2) teaches us that Rosh Hashanah is the day of Judgment for all mankind: (ב) בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְרָקִים הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן ... בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם עוֹבְרִין לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים…