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This week’s parashah, Vaera, begins with: “And God spoke to Moses, saying to him, I am יְהוָה YHVH.” He reminds Moses that there was a land that He had “covenanted” to give to his people, but that Promise had become a distant memory generations after Jacob had left Canaan. They forgot this covenant long after […]
“Arbeit macht frei” — “Work will make you free.” This was a phrase used during the Nazi era to oppress the people of Israel living in Europe. The bottom line was that Hitler and his accomplices did not seek to merely control the Jews, but to wipe the name of Israel from our collective and […]
“Life is a Journey, Not a Destination.” This parashah, Vayechi, ends the book of Bereshit, in which we read about the creation of the world by our Bore Olam and our place within it. Through their stories, we journeyed from Adam to Noah and the world’s destruction due to the perversity of mankind; then to […]
My message today is based on a message from 5777 by our Rabbi Percy Johnson, which I expanded upon. He taught us that the concept of Mashiach, or Messiah, was developed by our sages over time. In Parashat Vayigash, the two main characters, Joseph and Judah, point to two types of Messiah: Mashiach ben Joseph, […]
Breaking Generational Patterns “And in that day, his burden shall be lifted from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke shall be broken because of the oil.” Isaiah 10:27 In this week’s parashah, Miketz, מקץ, which means “at the end of” (found in Genesis 41:1–44:17), Pharaoh has two dreams that convey […]
We now begin to read about the life of Joseph. In this parashah, the effects of parents’ mistakes become evident in their children’s lives. Some rabbis try to clean up their act, while others are very critical, even negative. We always need to find the balance. These narratives help us to apply sound principles in […]
Can we choose trust over fear? Parashat Vayishlach begins with Jacob, a timid man, finally facing his brother, Esau, a hunter, whom he had reason to fear. Jacob had taken advantage of Esau. In a moment of weakness, he convinced Esau to sell him his birthright. But what really bothered Esau was that Jacob stole his […]
“The Path of Uncertainty” “He knows the way I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 Uncertainty reminds me of a classic scene in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. Many of you may remember when Indiana Jones found himself at a chasm he needed to […]
Are we affected by our Upbringing? In Parashat Toledot, we learn about two special brothers, Jacob and Esau – their upbringing, and the relationships with their parents, whose issues and mistakes led to a dysfunctional family. No matter how dysfunctional they were, the stories in the Torah are meant to teach us principles that the […]
“Chesed and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” (Psalms 85:11) This parashah, Chayei Sarah, is one of the richest in stories, bringing us practical lessons for daily life. There appears to be a contradiction in the title of this parashah, as it supposedly speaks about the life of Sarah. Yet, both […]
