In Parshas Vayeishev, we begin the end of Sefer Bereishis. The last four parshios - Vayeishev, Miketz, Vayigash and Vayechi - relay to us, in great and fascinating details, the life and times of Yosef ha’Tzaddik and his brothers, and Yaakov Avinu’s final years. The...
In this week’s parsha, Vayishlach, Yaakov Avinu - along with his large family, flocks, servants, maidservants, and vast wealth - is returning to Canaan, after twenty years of working for his father-in-law, Lavan. Additionally, before those twenty years, he spent fourteen years in Yeshivas Shem...
In Parshas Vayeitzei, Yaakov Avinu finds himself running away from Eisav who wants to kill him. After receiving the brachos from his father first (Bereishis 27), and Eisav vowing to kill Yaakov (27:41), Yaakov’s parents command him to run away. They instruct him to flee...
In Parshas Toldos, after twenty childless years, Yitzchak and Rivka become the parents of twin boys, Yaakov and Eisav. As the boys grow up. their divergent paths become apparent. Eisav is a hunter and trapper who spends his days in the field, and Yaakov is...
In this week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, Sarah Imeinu has died at the age of one hundred and twenty seven years old. After being maspid (eulogizing) his eishes chayil, and crying for her, Avraham must deal with the burial arrangements. He purchases the Me’arat ha’Machpela from...
In parshas Vayeira the Torah continues to teach us about the life and times of Avraham Avinu. We learn of the bikur cholim Hashem did in visiting Avraham when he was healing from his bris milah (18:1 with Rashi), the hachnasas orchim Avraham did...
In Parshas Lech Licha we begin to journey with the first of our Avos and Imahos. When Avraham is seventy-five years old, Hashem appears to him and commands him to leave his land, his birth place, and his father’s home and journey to the land...
In Parshas Noach, we learn of a world that is completely corrupt, save for one righteous man, Noach. The Torah tells us that נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת-הָאֱלֹקִים, הִתְהַלֶּךְ-נֹחַ, Noach was a righteous man, he was pure in his generation, Noach walked with...
Chag Ha’Succos - Chag ha’Assif, Shemini Atzeres - Simchas Torah 5785. The culmination of the annual cycle of the shalosh regalim (the three yearly festivals - Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos), the end of all of our avodah b’teshuva that began on Rosh Chodesh Elul, through...
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a day of teshuva, tefilah, and tzedaka (with the giving of tzedaka in advance of this day). It is our heartfelt and fervent prayer that our avodah in these three all-encompassing realms - repentance, prayer and charity -...