This week’s portion, Vayeitzei, opens as Jacob flees his brother Esau (who is angry at him for “stealing” the blessings). Jacob goes to Charan to stay with his uncle, Lavan. On the way he spends a night at the holiest place on earth: the Temple Mount. There, he dreams of a ladder standing on the […]
This week’s Torah portion, Toldos, opens with Isaac and Rebecca praying for a child. In time, Rebecca conceives and, after a difficult pregnancy, gives birth to twin boys–Esau and Jacob. While the two boys seem similar as children, they begin to take different paths at age 13. Esau enjoys hunting, while Jacob loves studying Torah. […]
At the beginning of Parshat Vayera, we are told that Abraham, convalescing just three days after his circumcision, is in great pain. He is paid a “visit” by G-d. Shortly thereafter, three people pass by his tent and Abraham invites them in for a meal. Abraham initially tells them that he will give them bread […]
Parshas Lech Lecha opens as G-d tells Abraham to leave Charan, his homeland, and travel to the land of Canaan (the future land of Israel) where he will establish the Jewish people. Abraham, his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot, travel to Israel. Upon arriving there they encounter a terrible famine and find temporary refuge […]
Parshas Noach opens with the story of The Flood. The people who lived during Noah’s generation led immoral and deeply corrupt lives. They engaged in all kinds of illicit behavior. They stole mercilessly from one another. They stooped so low as to engage in theft petty enough not even to be worth taking to court! […]
This week we begin the yearly Torah-reading cycle anew with Bereishis (Genesis), the first of the five books that comprise the Torah. The Torah portion starts with the beginning of time, when G-d created the world in six days. He rested on the seventh day, which we remember by resting on the seventh day of […]
Retailers and business owners were worried…and for good reason. Super Storm Sandy had just ripped through the region, leaving behind a trail of devastation and destruction. People were still struggling to put their lives and daily routines back together. The major concern for retailers was whether consumers would come out and make significant purchases over Black Friday […]
Question: What do children look forward to most? A) School ; B) Playing at home; or C) A family vacation to Disney World? “Survey says”: C – by a landslide. Another question: During which of the above activities are children most likely to fight, “kvetch,” and complain? The surprising answer to this question is very […]
We’ve all seen, either first-hand or via the media, the terrible destruction that Hurricane Sandy wrought. Imagine an individual who decides to volunteer and help those whose homes experienced great damage. He visits one such homeowner who is assessing the damage to his home, standing in his basement and looking at his waterlogged foundation, which […]
All of the discussions, all of the hype, all of the FB postings, all of the t-shirts, all of the blogs, and even the movie about the end of time…they’re all passé. (BTW, my all-time favorite is FB post from this past Friday: “People are posting about the end of times like there is no […]