Parshat Bo: The Ninth Plague Exodus 10:23 לֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּֽלְכׇל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָהא֖וֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם׃ A person could not see their brother, and for three days no one got up from where they were; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings. How is it that the plague of darkness came to hold the distinguished…
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There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Parshat Vayechi: Love and Memory Loss Genesis 45:6 וַיַּ֥רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אֵֽלֶּה׃ Noticing Joseph’s sons, Israel asked, “Who are these? I know I am not alone in experiencing an elderly friend or relative lose their memory. My grandma, of blessed memory, for the most part knew who I was until she passed; but, there were phone calls or visits where she…
Parshat Vayigash: Believing the UnbelievableGenesis 45:6 כִּי־זֶ֛ה שְׁנָתַ֥יִם הָרָעָ֖ב בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעוֹד֙ חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־חָרִ֖ישׁ וְקָצִֽיר׃ It is now two years that there has been famine in the land, and there are still five years to come in which there shall be no yield from tilling. It had been twenty-two years since Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, and…
Parshat Miketz: God’s LanguageGenesis 40:23 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה׃ And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same: God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do.” The Torah takes for granted the fact that God communicates with human beings. In the modern age, we do not…
Parshat Vayeshev: The Shamash Genesis 40:23 וְלֹֽא־זָכַ֧ר שַֽׂר־הַמַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵֽהוּ׃ “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” All of us stand on the shoulders of giants. I would venture to guess that none of us got to where we are without the help of a friend, family member, teacher or even stranger. The cupbearer here, upon…
Parshat Vayishlach: Gifts Genesis 33:10 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֗ב אַל־נָא֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ מִנְחָתִ֖י מִיָּדִ֑י כִּ֣י עַל־כֵּ֞ן רָאִ֣יתִי פָנֶ֗יךָ כִּרְאֹ֛ת פְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי׃ “But Jacob said, ‘No, I pray you; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift; for to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably.’”…
Parshat Vayeitzei: What’s in a Name?Genesis 22:14 וַתַּ֨הַר ע֜וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֗ן וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖דמִלֶּֽדֶת׃ “She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.” A short lesson on why we are called Jews: After the twelve tribes of Israel conquered…
Parshat Toldot: FoodGenesis 27:4 וַעֲשֵׂה־לִ֨י מַטְעַמִּ֜ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהַ֛בְתִּי וְהָבִ֥יאָה לִּ֖י וְאֹכֵ֑לָה בַּעֲב֛וּר תְּבָרֶכְךָ֥ נַפְשִׁ֖י בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת׃ “Prepare a dish for me such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my innermost blessing before I die.” It should not be a surprise that Isaac needs to prepare before giving his innermost blessing…