Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. …Pharaoh has decreed that all newborn Jewish boys be thrown into the Nile River. Amram and Yocheved have a baby boy. Yocheved, his mother, hides him as long as possible. Finally she puts him in a box and places it on the banks of the Nile. And she […]

Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. The new Egyptian king sees the Jews as a threat and enslaves them. (Exodus, 1:8-2:10) He orders the Jewish midwives to kill every newborn Jewish boy. But the midwives “feared G-d” and defied the order.  They kept the boys alive. So Pharaoh issued a new decree.  To his […]

Hi, Hope all is well. … Genesis ends with the death of Jacob. He had come to Egypt with his family to be reunited with Joseph. When Jacob died? Joseph’s brothers were petrified. (Genesis, 50) “Now that Dad is gone, Joseph may take his revenge.  Finally even the score.” Joseph’s response? “Don’t worry.  You meant […]

Hi, … Here’s what we might have expected Joseph to do when he saw his brothers. “Hi.  I’m Joseph your brother!  Lets put it all behind us.  I forgive you. Go tell Dad that I’m alive and well.  That I’m second in command here. Bring Dad down here.  I’ll take care of all your needs!” […]

Hi, Joseph puts his brothers through the ringer! (Genesis, 42-44) It certainly looks that way. … There’s a famine in the Land of Israel. Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt to buy food. And who’s in charge?  Joseph! He recognizes them.  But they don’t recognize him. Joseph accuses them of being spies. They deny […]

Hi, Joseph puts his brothers through the ringer! (Genesis, 42-44) It certainly looks that way. … There’s a famine in the Land of Israel. Jacob sends his sons down to Egypt to buy food. And who’s in charge?  Joseph! He recognizes them.  But they don’t recognize him. Joseph accuses them of being spies. They deny […]

More about Rebecca. We have seen that Abraham sent his trusted servant Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac. The test was chessed.  Acts of kindness. Rebbeca passed the test. With flying colors! … It’s easy to miss a small detail in the story. With a very big lesson. Eliezer set up a test. He’ll […]

Here’s one last thought about the Akeida. A small detail that can be overlooked. Abraham passed this most difficult test. In Jewish tradition it’s the ultimate spiritual act. Showing that he follows G-d no matter what. And he’s told “… Now I know that you are a G-d fearing man. Since you have done this thing, […]

Thank G-d!  The Akeida has a happy ending! You may remember it from Hebrew School. Or maybe you couldn’t wait and you finished the story! At the last minute G-d tells Abraham to stop. (Genesis 22, 10-13) “You passed the test.  Now I know that you fear G-d! And that’s all I ever wanted.” … […]

Hi, … It’s one of the most famous stories in the Torah. And one of the most difficult. The Akeida.  The “Binding of Isaac”. We could spend weeks on it.  Full time.  Not just a minute a day! But here are some thoughts. G-d commands Abraham to bring his son Isaac as an offering. G-d […]