Hi, I’ve been sitting at my computer thinking. We’re about to start the next Torah portion, so I was looking for a small nugget to share. Here’s what came to mind. … One of the great Rabbis of the past generation always looked for lessons in life. In his days, it was the telegraph. He […]

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, Isaac and Rebecca have twin sons.  Jacob and Esau. Isaac favors Esau but Rebecca favors Jacob.  (Genesis, 25:28) … Isaac is old, blind and close to death. His love for Esau blinds him. And he wants to give the blessings to Esau before dying. Rebecca sees the true nature of Esau and knows that […]

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, 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 […]

Hi, I can’t help it. I love weddings! … The veiling of the bride.  Called the “Bedeken”. At a traditional Jewish wedding it takes place before the actual ceremony. The groom is escorted to the bride and veils her. It’s an ancient tradition that goes back over 3500 years! To the marriage of Rebecca and […]

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 […]

Hi, I had to share this one with you! We’ve spoken about the need to focus on chessed.  Acts of kindness. Especially between spouses. But be careful! Read this first. … One day, this fellow decides enough is enough. He hasn’t been the kind of husband he should be. But from now on it’s going […]

Hi, Tuesday we spoke about a Jewish wedding. Today?  The hard part. Finding the right one! Its time to find a wife for Isaac. … Ask someone these days, “What are you looking for?” You might hear things like, “Accomplished. Witty.  Intelligent.  Or athletic.  Has to love the outdoors.” And of course, “romantic!”! Deeper people […]