Parsha Shemot – 5777
Parshat Shemot In-Depth “And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt . . . Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah (Exodus 1:1–2) Although G‑d had already counted them in their lifetime, He again counted them…
Jen (Rachel-Esther)
Inter-Faith Relations: Survey of World Religions (Part 5)
Buddhism The founder of Buddhism was a royal prince born in 624 BCE in northern India – now a part of Nepal – who was given the name Siddhartha. He lived in the royal palace but when he was 29-years-old…
Parsha Vayechi – 5777
Parshat Vayechi In-Depth “When Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789–1866) was a child attending cheder, his teacher taught the verse ‘Jacob lived for seventeen years in the land of Egypt’ according to the commentary of the Baal HaTurim—that Jacob lived…
Parsha Vayigash – 5777
Parshat Vayigash In-Depth “Judah approached him . . . (Genesis 44:18) Said Rabbi Yehudah: The verb “he approached” (vayigash) implies an approach to battle, as in the verse “So Joab and the people that were with him approached unto battle”…
Parsha Miketz – 5777
Parshat Mikeitz In-Depth “The three Torah sections (Vayeishev, Mikeitz and Vayigash) that relate the story of Joseph and his brothers . . . are always read before, during or immediately after the festival of Chanukah. Since “to everything there is…
Parsha Vayeshev – 5777
Aliya-by-Aliya Parshat Vayeishev 5762 “Yaakov has spent years away from home and now has returned. The Torah indicates that it is through Yosef that Yaakov’s legacy continues. 17 year old Yosef brings bad reports about his brothers to Yaakov. Yaakov…
Inter-Faith Relations: Survey of World Religions (Part 4)
Hinduism Hinduism is unique among the world faith systems because it has no founder and no date of origin. Most major religions derive their ideas from charismatic leaders but “Hinduism is simply the religion of the people from India.”18 This…
Parsha Vayishlach – 5777
Aliya-by-Aliya Parshat Vayishlach 5762 “Onkeles seems to consider the messengers that Yaakov sent to be human (IZGADIN are runners or messengers); Rashi states that the word MAL’ACHIM is to be taken literally, as heavenly angels. Commentaries point to the end…
Parsha Vayetzei – 5777
Aliya-by-Aliya Parashat Vayeitzei 5762 “There are different explanations concerning the wording of this pasuk. As to why the Torah mentions Yaakov’s departure, Rashi explains that a prominent person not only influences his surroundings, but his absence from a place is…
Parsha Toldot – 5777
Aliya-by-Aliya Parshat To’l’dot 5762 “Rashi quotes the Gemara that tells that when Yitzchak was born, scoffers said that Avraham and Sara, who were childless for so long, had found a baby and claimed it as theirs. Avraham invited the leaders…