Sefer Shemos opens in our parsha, Parshas Shemos, with the servitude and enslavement forced upon the Israelite slaves by their Egyptian tormentors. The pattern is one that is familiar to us from our long and bitter history in exile. When Yosef, and his brothers, and...
In Parshas Vayechi, the final parsha in the book of Bereishis, the narratives of the lives of the Avos and Imahos, Yaakov and his many struggles, the events between Yosef and his brothers, come to a close. The family of Yaakov has descended to Egypt,...
In Parshas Vayigash, the narrative of Yosef and his brothers reaches its climax. Twenty-two years after the brothers threw Yosef into the pit and twenty-two years after he was sold to Egypt, Yosef - the viceroy of Egypt, the most powerful man in the ancient...
In Parshas Miketz, the drama, intrigue, passions, and suspense in the Yosef narrative continues. After languishing for twelve years in prison, Yosef’s fortune suddenly changes. When Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt, sickly cows consuming seven robust, healthy cows, and seven withered ears of corn consuming...
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...