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 [...]

The The Festival of Sukkos celebrates the “Time of Our Rejoicing.” This rejoicing refers to the forty years that we dwelt in the desert surrounded – and protected – by the “Clouds of Glory.”   Through these “Clouds of Glory,” HaShem illuminated His light and holiness upon the People of Israel. HaShem dwelt among His [...]

The Prophet Isaiah (58:5) admonished Klal Yisrael for being downhearted on Yom Kippur – Is such gloom the fast that I have chosen? Is the purpose of the day for man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under his feet? What [...]

Selichot – The Penitential Prayers G‑d replied (to King David): “When suffering will befall the Jews because of their sins, they should gather before me in complete unity. Together they shall confess their sins and recite the order of the Selichot, and I will answer their prayers” — Midrash. In the Shulchan Aruch we are [...]

The Gift that Keeps on Giving וְ ה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה עַתָּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לִּי הֹ וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי ה אֱלֹקיךָ And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which you, O L-rd, have given to me.” Then, you shall lay it before the L-rd, your G-d – [...]

.. Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal and you must hold a licence for it. – Television Licensing laws, Ireland “You shall not keep in your house two different ephah measures, [...]

וְלא תִקַּח שׁחַד כִּי הַשּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם. … you shall not take a bribe, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts just words – Deut 16:19   There was once a highly respected judge who had served in the courts for many decades who went deaf in his senior [...]

“Though summer still lingered and the days were bright and sunny, change was in the air. One could already smell the scent of Elul; a wind of teshuva was blowing. Everyone grew more serious, more thoughtful… All awaited the call of the shofar, the first blast that would announce the opening of the gates of [...]