Hope you’re having a great day. … The story of Cain and Abel.  One of the most famous “Bible Stories.” Adam and Eve have two sons.  Cain and Abel. They each bring an offering to G-d. Abel’s offering is accepted.  And Cain’s is rejected. Evidently there was something lacking in Cain’s offering. And in the […]

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. And that today’s lesson won’t apply to you personally! .. The Talmud warns us to never enter a home unannounced. Even our own. And even the room of a child. Especially a teenager! It’s not derech eretz. Not proper etiquette. A person may be startled, caught off guard. Not […]

Hope you’re having a great day. Here’s something that may get lost in the “Adam and Eve” story. … Clothing. Not something we get very philosophical about. When we get dressed in the morning, it’s much too early for deep thinking! But in Judaism, clothing is very significant.  Has a spiritual purpose. How do we […]

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. […]

Hope you’re having a great day. … Mazal Tov! The first shidduch.  The first match! Eve is created. And who was the Matchmaker? G-d Himself. … The story has many lessons. G-d took Adam’s side and made it into a woman. But why didn’t G-d just create a man and a woman at the same […]

Hope you’re having a great day. The Torah is leading up to the creation of Eve.  The first woman. Adam’s wife. It seems to be building up to it.  To make Adam really want a wife. As we saw yesterday, G-d said, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” He needs a partner. … […]

Hope you’re having a great day! We left Adam in the Garden of Eden.  Spiritual paradise. What could be better? … But the Torah says something amazing. “It’s not good.  Because man is alone!” And it goes on to describe the creation of Eve.  The first woman. It’s not good? In spiritual paradise? Adam was […]

Hope you’re having a great day! Here’s a little quiz. What’s the first thing G-d says to Adam, the first human being? And no peeking! Many people would say, “I know that one!” “Don’t eat the apple.”  (Actually, since Jewish tradition does not identify the forbidden fruit as an apple, we should probably say that […]

Happy Purim eve. I’m already into the spirit of Purim! It’s the happiest day in the Jewish calendar. What’s the last thing that would come to mind when we think Purim? Yom Kippur. Two opposites. But Jewish tradition says that there’s a connection. What do Yom Kippur and Purim have in common? They are both […]