by Mordechai Dixler | Dec 24, 2020 | Lifeline
For Joseph’s brothers, this is the week of their “big reveal.” They suddenly learn that the viceroy of Egypt, the one who had taken their brother Shimon (Simeon) captive, forced them to bring their brother Binyamin (Benjamin), and then seized...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Dec 18, 2020 | Lifeline
The existence of the Haftarah, at least according to many sources, dates to the time of Chanukah. The Greeks prohibited observing the Sabbath and reading the Torah, and thus rabbis read related portions of the Prophets or Writings instead. These became the Haftarah...
by Mordechai Dixler | Dec 4, 2020 | Lifeline
As we read last week, Yaakov left his parent’s home to live with his uncle Lavan, both to escape the anger of his brother Esav and to find a wife. Now, upon his return with his family, he hoped to make peace with Esav — and so Yaakov sent him an elaborate gift...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 27, 2020 | Lifeline
Yaakov (Jacob) leaves home, journeying towards Haran, where he knows his uncle lives, hoping both to find safety from his brother, and to marry a daughter from his uncle’s family. At the end of his first day travelling, the verse says that “he came to the...
by Mordechai Dixler | Nov 19, 2020 | Lifeline
The contrast between Yaakov and Esav (Jacob and Esau) in this week’s Torah portion is stark. “The children matured, and Esav knew how to hunt, he was a man of the field, and Yaakov was whole, one who sits in tents (Gen. 25:27).” These descriptions...
by Mordechai Dixler | Nov 12, 2020 | Lifeline
Upon hearing of his wife Sarah’s death, Abraham returned to his home in Hebron to eulogize his wife, mourn her passing, and arrange for her burial. The plot of his choice was the same cave where Adam and Eve were known to be buried, but to bury Sarah in this...
