by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Dec 14, 2012 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, the time for Yosef’s redemption finally arrives. Pharoah has dreams, his sommelier (wine butler) suddenly remembers Yosef, and Yosef is hastily pulled from jail, given a haircut, and sent to interpret the dreams of Pharoah. Two...
by Mordechai Dixler | Dec 7, 2012 | Lifeline
“A bit of light pushes away a great deal of darkness.” Joseph was sold as a slave to Egypt by his own brothers, marking the beginning of the darkest chapter of his life. As we noted last year, the caravan which brought Joseph to Egypt normally carried...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 30, 2012 | Lifeline
I remember, more years ago than I care to disclose, traveling to Israel for a summer program of study in a yeshiva (rabbinical school) for the first time. I planned the trip carefully; given that the university I was attending ended its year later than most, there...
by Mordechai Dixler | Nov 15, 2012 | Lifeline
Yitzchak (Isaac) calls for Esav (Esau) to receive the blessings reserved for his firstborn son. Following the instructions of his mother Rivka (Rebecca), Yaakov (Jacob) poses as Esav before his blind father, wearing Esav’s clothing and disguising his arms to...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Nov 9, 2012 | Lifeline
It’s not enough to “talk the talk;” so we learn from this week’s reading. In public, Ephron declared that he would give Avraham the Cave of the Patriarchs for free, but then he expected a massive payment of 400 Centurions (the equivalent of...
by Mordechai Dixler | Oct 25, 2012 | Lifeline
The Torah uses various names for G-d, and each one expresses a unique manifestation of G-d’s interaction with the world. One of the lesser-known names is “Sha-dai.” The literal translation of this name is “Who – Enough” which the...
