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Nov 22

Extraordinary Dose!

After our forefather Yaacov received the patriarchal blessing from his father Yitzchok in a seemingly manipulative fashion, the Torah tells us that Yitzchok realized that Yaacov, rather than Aisav, was indeed worthy, and the one deserving to receive the blessing. Aisav was burning mad and decided to eventually kill Yaacov. Rivka was informed through prophecy …

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Dec 01

Comfort Zone!

Each one of our forefathers excelled in a particular character trait. Avraham was the paradigm of Chesed. Yitzchok was the model of reverence and service to G-d, and Yaacov was the prototype of being a man of truth. Rabbi Yaacov Kamenetzky o.b.m. points out something thought-provoking regarding the challenges each of our forefathers faced. Avraham …

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Nov 11

My Brothers!

  Our forefather Yaacov following the instructions of his parents to find a wife, traveled from Israel to the Land of Charan where his uncle, Lavan, resided. G-d speeded up his travels and Yaacov made it to Charan in record time. The Torah describes that Yaacov arrived in Charan at midday at the outskirts of …

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Nov 26

Ups and Downs!

Dreams are intriguing. The Torah depicts a few dreams and they usually fall into two categories. One type is a directive, such as the dream of King Avimelech, where G-d tells him not to go near our matriarch Rivka. So too, the dream of Lavan, where G-d tells him not to harm his son-in-law, Yaacov. …

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Dec 05

The House!

The Talmud relates that Rebbe Elazar pointed to the verse in the Book of Isaiah, “Let’s ascend the mountain of G-d to the house of the G-d of Yaacov,” and asked, “Why does Isaiah call the Temple in Jerusalem the house of the G-d of Yaacov and not the G-d of our other forefathers, Avraham …

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Nov 15

Moving Sidewalks!

The speed of travelling was greatly advanced with the advent of mechanical and fuel powered engines. Before that, the speed of travel was limited to walking or using animals and ships. However, the Talmud points out that there were two trips referred to in the Torah, when high-speed travel was employed. When Eliezer travelled out …

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Sep 26

Long But Short

(Torah Portion Vayaitzai) Long But Short After our forefather Yaacov received the patriarchal blessing from his father Yitzchok, his parents instructed him to leave Israel and travel to his mother Rivka’s family to find a wife. Rivka, as a concerned mother, being well aware that her brother Lavan was a deceitful person, gave Yaacov instructions …

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Sep 26

Sincere Intentions

(Torah Portion Vayaitzai) Sincere Intentions There are two incidents recorded in the Torah involving children proactively stopping their fathers from worshiping idols. The first is only alluded to in the Torah where our forefather Avraham completely destroyed his father Terach’s idol inventory. The second is mentioned in our Torah portion where Rachel, the wife of …

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Sep 26

It Happened Right Here

(Torah Portion Vayaitzai) It Happened Right Here! Greetings from the holy City of Jerusalem! Malki and I are in Israel for a short but uplifting and electrifying visit. As of now, the war is going on in Southern Israel and Gaza, and here in Jerusalem for the first time in many years, siren warnings of …

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Sep 26

Wedding Plans

(Torah Portion Vayaitzai) Wedding Plans… Imagine being engaged to be married to a fine gentleman. Your father tells your fiancé to work for him for seven years and only then could he marry. Your fiancé works diligently for the seven years, generating huge profits for his future father-in-law. The wedding day finally arrives. Your fiancé …

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