An Ode To Diversity Parshas Vayera 5786
This week was Bli Ayin Hara, my oldest son’s birthday. When looking back at Shabbos emails from years gone by, I found this one, and while it’s a bit dated, I thought it was really nice, so we’re doing a…
Parshas Vayera
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…
Here are my pet peeves, what are yours?<br>Parshas Vayera 5785
Pet peeves. We all have them, and we can’t really explain why we have them. They are the little things that could go unnoticed by most people, but seem to be particularly outsized grievances to us. People who walk slowly…
Parshat Vayara 5785
This week’s Parsha ends with Avraham’s last and most difficult test: the binding of Yitzchak, the Akeida. Hashem told Avraham (Genesis 22:2): ב) וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ…
When I Administer Pain…
Parshas Vayera 5784
High on the list of my least favorite things to do is giving medicine to my children, especially the really small ones. This past Shabbos, I noticed that my son, who just turned one, was feeling a bit warm. The…
Vayeira 5784
Vayeira תשפ"ד This week’s portion, Vayeira, is the fourth portion in the Torah and at this point it has been over 2000 years since Hashem created the world. Regarding the 2000 years that have passed, the Torah has shared…
How about those cheese curls?
Parshat Vayeira 5783
Popcorn is good, but corn puffs are great. Both of them are made by doing something magical to corn kernels, but popcorn is a messy expression of that magic, leaving behind husks and debris all over your teeth and gums,…
The Power of the Parsha: Vayeira
Thursday Lunch and Learn | Rabbi Leiby Burnham
Parshat Vayeira 5783
Parshat Vayeira תשפ"ג It was Pesach, the 15th of Nissan, and, just three days earlier, Avraham, now 99 years old, had circumcised himself upon Hashem’s command. In those days, sterile conditions were unavailable, and by the third day it was common to…
Parshat Va’eira 5782
Parshat Va'eira תשפב This week’s portion’s opening two verses contain four different holy names of Hashem. (ב) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים אֶל משֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְדֹוָד (ג) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּקֵל שַׁקָּי וּשְׁמִי יְדֹוָד לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם 2) Elo(k)him spoke to Moshe and…