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…
Parshat Chayei Sarah: Three Years Since Pittsburgh Genesis 24:67 וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֙הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃ Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebecca as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother’s death. When we lose someone tragically, the words comfort and peace…
Parshat Vayeira: Seeing is Believing Genesis 22:14 וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה יֵרָאֶֽה׃ And Abraham named that site “the Lord will see” which why it is said, On the mount of the LORD there is vision They say seeing is believing. This is true in more than one way: To be close to God means to see…
Parshat Lech Lecha: RoadblockGenesis 15:11 וַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם׃ Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away At nearly 100 years old, Abraham is instructed to ritually sanctify the covenant between himself and God by sacrificing specific animals and laying out their flesh in a particular pattern. Abraham does so and prepares himself…
Parshat Noah: The Ark We’re InGenesis 8:16 צֵ֖א מִן־הַתֵּבָ֑ה אַתָּ֕ה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֛ וּבָנֶ֥יךָ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃ “Come out of the ark, together with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives” All of us have experienced the “ark” effect at some point this past year. It can be summed up like so: the world outside is dangerous, and here in my ark, I…