Hi,   Sorry I missed you on Friday.   We were speaking about the importance shared goals in a marriage.   … And shared goals don’t just make a marriage more meaningful.   They make it more romantic!   Because the more meaningful our goals?   The deeper our lives.   And the deeper the […]

Hi, Let’s refresh our memories. Jacob meets Rachel and it seems right out of the movies. Until we think about it. Jacob kisses Rachel.  But he cries! He “loves” her.  But suggests waiting seven years. And then the clincher. He loves her so much? That those seven years go by like a few days. Doesn’t […]

Hi, You could have thought you’re at the movies! Jacob meets Rachel. (Genesis, 29:9-20) He’s at the well talking to the shepherds. And Rachel arrives with her father’s sheep. What does Jacob do? He kisses Rachel. It sounds right out of Hollywood! Jacob was really swept off his feet! Then he offers to work seven […]

Hi, The minutes add up.  We’re about halfway through the Book of Genesis! And we’re starting a new Torah portion.   (Genesis, 28:10) Jacob leaves the home of his parents Isaac and Rebecca and travels to Rebecca’s family. In search of a wife. … Jacob lies down at night to sleep. And he has a dream.  […]

Hi, We can’t seem to avoid it. The Torah keeps coming back to weddings! Now its time for Jacob to find a wife. (Genesis, 28:1-4) … Isaac gives Jacob a charge. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women.” Or in other words, “Don’t marry out.” And Isaac sends Jacob to look in his […]

Hi, Hope you’re having a great day! We’ve seen that in Jewish tradition, Abraham personifies acts of kindness. And Isaac? He represents Divine service. Things like prayer.  Introspection.  Spirituality. You might think of Isaac as a very big Tzadik.  An extremely righteous man. A “holy man.” And sometimes we have a picture of such people. […]

Hi, Love. It’s a word we hear very often. A man and a woman meet. Fall madly in love. Get married. And live happily ever after! … At least that’s how it goes in the movies! In real life? It’s just as likely that they won’t. … Here’s how the Torah describes the marriage of […]

As we saw, Abraham interrupted G-d’s visit to take care of three strangers. He taught us the greatness of helping those in need. When the guests were taken care of? Abraham goes back to G-d. And G-d tells him the good news. “By this time next year, Sarah will have a child!” (Genesis, 18:10) … […]

Hope you’re having a great day! Adam and Eve are sent out of the Garden of Eden. And we’re about to finish the story too. But before we do, there’s one very important point. One very Jewish point. You may have heard of the concept of “Original Sin.” That as a result of the sin […]

Hope you’re having a great day. As we saw yesterday, G-d created Eve.  And we had our first couple. But G-d didn’t just create Eve. He brought her to Adam! (2:22) And it’s not like they wouldn’t have found each other. There weren’t a whole lot of eligible singles around! It’s a very powerful image. […]