God appears to Avraham in the opening verse of this week’s parsha. How does God appear to him? The rabbis teach us that He appears to him in the form of a visitor there to cheer him in his illness and pain after the rite of circumcision. The Jewish value of visiting and cheering the sick stems from our imitation of this Godly virtue as first revealed to Avraham. In this instance, God reveals Himself to Avraham through three Bedouin Arabs who are apparently searching for a place to rest, eat and drink. READ MORE →
Rashi comments that the Lord assured Avraham that leaving his home and family in Aram and heading to a then unknown destination would somehow be to his benefit and ultimate good. Even though this may appear strange to the casual observer – leaving the known and secure and heading out to wander to an unknown destination – the ways of the Lord are inscrutable and often counter-intuitive to human logic. READ MORE →
The rabbis were not so much critical of Noach – as he is paid the highest of compliments, throughout the Torah as a righteous person – but they were wary of him. I have often felt that this attitude is born of the idea that Rashi himself states in commenting upon the origin of Noach’s name. Rashi makes a point that the name Noach should not be construed as a derivative of the Hebrew word “nacheim” – meaning to comfort - but rather it is derived from the other Hebrew word “noach” – meaning, rest, leisure, comfortable but not comfort as in consolation. READ MORE →
There is a tendency to look at the narrative that appears in this first portion of the Torah as being a description of the past – the story of the beginnings of creation, the planet and universe and of the story of civilization. However, we are taught in the traditions of Judaism that the Lord, so to speak, creates our universe and world anew each day. READ MORE →
Rashi points out that the blessings of Moshe to the Jewish people are based upon and mirror those of Yaakov as recorded for us at the end of the book of Bereshith. There are blessings that are eternal and always valid. There are those that are contemporary to the times in which they were given but have little relevance to other times. The blessings of both Yaakov and Moshe are of two individual tribes regarding their locations in the Land of Israel and their individual traits and characteristics as warriors, merchants, scholars, and as part of the national fabric of the Jewish society. READ MORE →
The solemnity and awe of the Yomin Noraim gives way to the relaxation and enjoyment of the beautiful holiday of Succot. Succot is the holiday with many symbolic rituals and mitzvoth attached to it. It revels in its beauty, in the four species and in the succah itself with its decorations and greenery. Family gatherings and chol hamoed outings contribute to the festivities of the holiday and to the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that we feel after Yom Kippur. It is no wonder therefore that the rabbis assigned to Succot the title of "the time of our happiness and rejoicing." Even though the weather may not cooperate fully and the comforts of our home and dining room are not usually found in the succah, Jews have a great sense of enjoyment in sitting in the succah. Joy and satisfaction are not always connected to physical comfort or luxuries. Succot aims to make us feel happy on the inside, to be satisfied with our lot and to have trust and faith in the coming good year and its blessings. Great people sat in their succot even in very cold weather even though the halacha prescribed that one who suffers discomfort in sitting in the succah because of weather conditions need not do so. They said that when sitting in the succah they experienced no discomfort at all so great was their satisfaction at being able to fulfill the commandment of being in the succah on Succot. Weather may affect our moods. It does not however deaden our souls or prevent one from being inwardly satisfied and joyful. READ MORE →
Moshe’s long oration to the people of Israel enters its final phase in the parsha of Haazinu. Moshe speaks to his generation about to embark on the conquest and settlement of the Land of Israel – and he speaks to all of the later generations of the Jewish people, thousands of years later. READ MORE →
The basis for Judaism and its value system can be summed up in one word: accountability. The gift of freedom of choice and action that God has granted to humans comes, as do most gifts, with a price. And that price is that all of us are completely accountable for our actions and behavior. READ MORE →
Ah! The covenant once more. The basis of the relationship between the Jewish people and their Creator is the covenant that exists between them. The covenant is central to the story of the Jewish people. Our father Avraham entered into and created the terms of this eternal covenant. The covenant was embodied in his flesh itself and sanctified by the sense of sacrifice that the historical narrative of Avraham and Yitzchak reinforced. READ MORE →
The main part of the parsha is concerned with the description of the woes that will befall the Jewish people in their long years of exile and persecution. The Torah sees this as being a form of redemptive punishment for the Chosen People who chose to imitate the idolatrous and immoral ways of the general society. READ MORE →
