Hi, Finally.  The Exodus is about to begin. But not so fast! … G-d tells Moshe to give the Jewish People the good news. (Exodus, 6:1-13) That G-d is about to free them.  But they wouldn’t listen.  They didn’t believe Moshe. Their spirits were broken.  Then G-d tells Moshe to speak to Pharaoh and free […]

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. […]

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 […]

Hope you had a great holiday. …Sarah. Abraham’s wife. The first matriarch of the Jewish People. She passes away in the city of Hebron. (Genesis, 23) … Sometimes we say about someone, “They will live on…” And special people are remembered for generations. But then there’s someone like Sarah. Who achieves what very few others […]

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 […]

Hi, We’re about to start one of the most fundamental and challenging stories in the Torah. Abraham is tested.  Challenged. The story of the Akedah.  The “Binding of Isaac”. (Genesis, 22) Abraham is told to bring his son Isaac as an offering to G-d. Before we get to the story, a few words about challenges […]

Hi, Mazal Tov! It’s a boy! Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah. (Genesis, 21:1) Isaac represents the Jewish future. … Earlier, Abraham had married Sarah’s servant Hagar. And they had a son, Ishmael. But G-d had told Abraham that Sarah will have a child. And that the Jewish People will come from Isaac. … […]

Hi, Here’s a follow up to yesterday’s Torah Minute. And it takes place in Vienna in 1927. Sigmund Freud writes the following. “Civilization has little to fear from educated people… In them replacement of religious motives for civilized behavior, by other, secular motives, would proceed unobtrusively.” Not quiet what the Rabbi said in Berlin! Picture […]