by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 26, 2015 | Lifeline
What if I told you there was something you could do, right now, that could save a life in Israel? Would you do it? In this week’s reading, Yaakov returns to the Land of Israel, only to meet his brother Esav — who years earlier tried to kill him. Yaakov...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 13, 2015 | Lifeline
This week we read that Yitzchak (Isaac) wanted to bless his older son Esav, but Yaakov came instead, as advised by his mother Rivka. As a result, both sons were blessed — and though Yitzchak was deceived, he was Divinely Inspired to give each child the right...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 5, 2015 | Lifeline
At the beginning of this week’s reading, Sarah passes away and Avraham goes to find a burial place for her. He would like to bury her in the burial place of Adam and Chava (Eve), which is the Cave of Machpela near Hebron. So he goes to the Hittites to ask for...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Oct 30, 2015 | Lifeline
It is as predictable as sunrise. At roughly this time of the year, someone claims the mantle of religious authority in order to announce that Avraham “failed” the test of the Akeidah, of sacrificing his son. Why? Because, the speaker insists, Avraham...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Oct 23, 2015 | Lifeline
Do you like your house? “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” It is human nature to find comfort in familiar surroundings, friends and neighbors, even habits. What does G-d tell Abraham? Go. Leave your home, go out “from your...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Oct 16, 2015 | Lifeline
In this week’s Torah reading, humanity engages in two different sorts of evil. One generation becomes rife with theft and immorality, and the population is wiped out. Then a later generation unites to rebel against G-d, and G-d confuses their languages and...
