Delayed Gratitude
After the great miracles of the Exodus — the splitting of the sea, the falling of the Manna, and the Jewish victory when attacked by the Amalek nation — Yisro (Jethro), Moshe's father-in-law, was so impressed by this evidence of G-d's love for His nation that he...
A Guarantee of Daily Bread
After crossing the Sea of Reeds, the Jewish People found themselves in an inhospitable desert. For 40 years, they ate a miraculous food called Mann, or Manna. Yet we read that G-d also provided both quail and water. Why was it necessary for them to eat food whose...
What is Normal Life?
The current global upheaval due to the raging pandemic, combined with political upheaval, has made us all unsettled; many are even broken and in despair. We all ask, "When will life return to normal?" The Exodus story, which we read about in the Torah portion this...
Pharaoh’s Secret Power
Rabbi Meilech Biederman, a well-known teacher in Jerusalem, shared an incredible message this week, one that is worth sharing almost verbatim. Hashem told Moshe to arise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, because that is when he goes out to the water [see...
Plant Your Feet and Grow
When Moses discovered the burning bush, G-d called out to him, "Remove your shoes, for the land that you are standing on is holy (Ex. 3:5)." This is probably one of the most famous stories in the Torah, and Judaism teaches that all the words and stories of the Torah...
No Surprises!
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 Binyamin instead — is...
Dreams for the Wise
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...
How to Have It All
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 of...
A Boulder Future
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 place, and...
Truly in Tents
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 show a clear...
Keep the Silver!
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 cave, he...
Kind to the Cruel?
The city of Sodom and the surrounding region were notorious for their cruel practices and laws. But before G-d brought destruction upon them, He first informed Abraham. "It's improper to do this without him knowing," He said, "I gave him this land, these cities are...
