וַתַּעַל שִׁכְבַת הַטָּל וְהִנֵּה עַל פְּנֵי הַמִּדְבָּר דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס דַּק כַּכְּפֹר עַל הָאָרֶץ The layer of dew lifted, and behold, on the surface of the desert, a fine, substance as fine as frost on the ground — Exodus 16:14 If you had to pick one item to symbolize Shabbat, the day of rest, which item would you [...]
אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם … but on the preceding day you shall clear away all leaven from your houses — Ex. 12:15 וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ ה’ מִמִּצְרָיִם And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and for ornaments between your eyes, for with a [...]
וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכָל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields — Exodus 1:14 Moses, Museums and Menorahs. I must make a confession. As we read the Torah portion every week, year after year, it [...]
One fine summer day Family Goldstein visit the zoo and are taken to the wolves’ enclosure. There they witness an incredible sight; the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy – a wolf and a lamb side by side in the enclosure together! Mr Goldstein calls over one of the staff: “How long have you had a wolf [...]
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The Secret of Miracles We live in a world of cause and effect. The deeds of man, in particular, profoundly affect both the material and spiritual dimensions. In that light, what was the “cause,” i.e., merit that awakened the phenomenal miracles of Chanukah? The story of the Exodus from Egypt sheds light on our question. [...]
In this house … he has not withheld anything from me except you, insofar as you are his wife. Now how can I commit this great evil, and sin against G-d?” – (Joseph in Gen 39:9) One of the great rabbis once complained to G-d about the difficult struggle Man must constantly undergo on this [...]
וַיְהִי בְהַקְשֹׁתָהּ בְּלִדְתָּהּ … וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה … וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָתָה הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם It came to pass when she had such difficulty giving birth … her soul departed … and she was buried on the road to Ephrat, which is Beit Lechem. And Jacob built a monument on her grave, [...]
וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ And he arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם וְרָחֵל בָּאָה עִם הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ כִּי רֹעָה הִוא While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with the sheep — Genesis 28:11, 29:9 Coincidence. Time and again as we read the stories of the Patriarchs [...]
וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים And the youths grew up, and Esau was a man who knew how to hunt, a man of the field … whereas Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents. — Genesis 25:27 Who knew how to hunt: [He knew how] to trap and [...]
This week’s parsha discusses the very first Jewish marriage – that of Yitzchak and Rivka (Isaac & Rebecca). In fact one of the blessings we give a bride until today – Achotenu, at hayi le’alfei revava – is a quote from today’s parsha. We read in the parsha how Sarah passes away and Avraham begins to search [...]
This week’s Torah reading contains one of the most powerful, poignant and emotive moments in the entire Torah. וַיאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעלָה … And He said, “Please take your son, your only one, whom you love – Isaac, and go [...]
“We are the 99%” – Slogan of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Forget the politicians, the corporate hierarchies and the lobbyists – the buzz word now is “grassroots,” as ordinary people, law-abiding citizens make a stand against those who run the world as we know it. Born in the Financial District of New York this [...]
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹח, נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו, אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ Noah was a righteous man, he was perfect in his generations; Noach walked with G-d – Genesis 6:9 It is a well-known fact that those people who want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it… anyone who [...]
After being saved from the great flood, Noah, uncharacteristically, drank wine and became intoxicated. Due to his drunken state, he fell asleep when he was unclothed. His son, Cham, saw that his father was uncovered and disgraced Noah. Shem and Yafes, Noah’s other sons, heard of Noah’s predicament, and attended to their father with great [...]
