Heifer – Therapy
No matter how well-prepared we are, mentally and emotionally, for the inevitable loss of a close relative or a dear friend, when death strikes, we experience shock, grief, disbelief, and anger. We don’t understand how can the world move on, functioning efficiently as if nothing happened, as if our lives have not been changed irreversibly. […]
Yosef: The Ultimate Sales Pitch
Reading Between the Lines in Miketz Questions for discussion: In verse 41:14 we read that Yosef “shaved and changed clothes”. Whose initiative was it? Can it be proven from the grammar? How does Pharaoh echo Yosef’s language? How are Yaakov and Pharaoh similar in their treatment of Yosef? Why did Yosef create local and not […]
Favorite Son vs. Man of the People
Choosing a college major is a tricky business. You start studying for the profession most in demand at the moment, just to find out four years later that the world has drastically changed. Programming, or coding, has been one exception and a safe bet for the last couple of decades, but this too is about […]
Torn Between Father and God
In his royal chambers, covered in fine Egyptian linen sheets, Zaphenat Pa’aneah, aka Joseph the Hebrew, wakes up screaming, awash in cold sweat. His wife, the delicate noblewoman Asenath, finds his shaking hand and holds it, whispering “you had that nightmare again, honey?” Her husband is too startled to talk, taking a deep breath before […]
Face It! On Apology and Forgiveness
Many people (particularly men) often find themselves in a state of confusion and bewilderment when other people (particularly their wives) recall incidents or offenses from times immemorial. “I can’t believe that you still bring this up,” a husband might say, “I thought we put it to rest long ago.” “I didn’t put it to rest, […]
Genesis, the Book of Many Faces
For Sefer Beresheet This article is not a commentary, rather food for thought, an invitation to explore the many layers of this fascinating First Book of the Torah. It is shorter than the regular column, yet longer, since the reader will need to research the ideas presented here, decipher them, and agree [or, hopefully, disagree] […]
Sweet, Sweet Torah!
Moshe mobilized the Israelites away from the Sea of Reeds. They came out to the desert of Shur, and they walked three days in the dessert, without finding water. They came to [the lake of] Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah, for they were bitter, therefore it was named Marah. The […]
Exposing Hypocrisy
For Parashat Ki Tavo אָר֣וּר הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַעֲשֶׂה֩ פֶ֨סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֜ה תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְיָ מַעֲשֵׂ֛ה יְדֵ֥י חָרָ֖שׁ וְשָׂ֣ם בַּסָּ֑תֶר… מַקְלֶ֥ה אָבִ֖יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ … מַסִּ֖יג גְּב֣וּל רֵעֵ֑הוּ… מַשְׁגֶּ֥ה עִוֵּ֖ר בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ… מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה… שֹׁכֵב֙… מַכֵּ֥ה רֵעֵ֖הוּ בַּסָּ֑תֶר… לֹקֵ֣חַ שֹׁ֔חַד לְהַכּ֥וֹת נֶ֖פֶשׁ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י… אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יָקִ֛ים אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה־הַזֹּ֖את לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֑ם וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן: Accursed is him who will […]
Finding Humanity in Captivity
For Parashat Ki Tetze The opening paragraph of Parashat Ki Tetze (Deut. 21: 10-14) is shocking. In it, the Torah instructs Israelite soldiers how to capture and then violate the women of the enemy: (י) כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ יְיָ אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ (יא) וְרָאִיתָ֙ בַּשִּׁבְיָ֔ה אֵ֖שֶׁת יְפַת־תֹּ֑אַר וְחָשַׁקְתָּ֣ בָ֔הּ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה (יב) […]
Lekh Lekha – Parasha Pointers
By Rabbi Haim Ovadia Who initiated Avram’s exodus from Haran? In 11:31 we read the Terah initiated a journey from Ur to Canaan, in 12:1 God tells Avram to leave his land (is it Ur or Haran?), and in 15:7 God tell Avram that He took him out of Ur. Compare these sources to the […]