Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Vayeshev (link to original page) Parshat Vayeshev Israel and the Nations: Inside and/or Out? Together and/or Separate? Yosef Haim Banjo In Vayeshev, as well as in the portions of Miketz and Vayigash, the Torah deals with the figure of Joseph. It should be noted that the reading of these portions always falls on Hanukkah, as if the Sages wanted to emphasize the connection between Joseph and Hanukkah. Indeed, the story of Joseph, who, as a Jew, enters the history of Egypt and influences it, is reminiscent of the meeting of Judaism...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Vayishlah (link to original page) Parshat Vayishlah "And Esau ran to meet him… and kissed him": Do not read 'and he kissed him' (vayishakehu) but 'and he bit him' (vayinshachehu). (Pirkei Derabbi Eliezer XXXVI). "And he kissed him" – the word has dots above it. Should one suppose that this was a kiss of love? R. Shimon ben Elazar said: But were not all Esau's acts of hate at the beginning? – Except for this one, which was an act of love. (Avot Derrabi Natan II) "And Esau ran.. and he...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Vayetze (link to original page) Parshat Vayetze Remove me from the Way of Falsehood by Zvi Mazeh This week's Torah portion opens with Jacob setting off from Beer Sheva to Haran, embarking on a journey as an independent person. Although the Torah portion does not go into detail, we very well know the circumstances in which Jacob has left his home. Jacob must escape from Esau who wants to take his life. At the end of the Torah portion, a second escape occurs. This time Jacob escapes back to the Land...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Toldot (link to original page) Parshat Toldot "The voice is the voice of Jacob": there is no effective prayer that is not from the seed of Jacob, "The hands are the hands of Esau": you have no victorious war which is not from the seed of Esau. (Babylonian Talmud, Gittin, 57b) Did Esau disguise himself as Jacob or vice versa? The mistake is possible in both directions. "The voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands are the hands of Esau": he could not have said, "the voice is Jacob's...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Chayei Sarah (link to original page) Parshat Haye Sara "And Isaac and Ishmael buried him": Hence we know that Ishmael repented and let Isaac walk before before him, and this is the ripe old age that is attributed to Abraham. (Rashi on Genesis 25,9). Repentence, even that of Ishmael at the end of his life, atones for everything. "The Life of Sarah": Rashi comments, "It is all equal to goodness," and even though regarding Ishmael it is written, "And these are the years of the life of Ishmael," it may be...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Vayera (link to original page) Parshat Vayera "Will You Destroy the Righteous with the Wicked?" Rabbi Paul (Pinchas) Laderman There are four examples in the Bible where G-d announces that evil will befall a community and Biblical characters respond – each in his own way. NOAH does everything that G-d asks of him. He does not argue with G-d. He does not attempt to defend mankind from their impending doom. His response is to save himself and his family, no more. (See the story of Noah -Genesis 6:13 – 22.) ABRAHAM...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Lech-Lecha (link to original page) Parshat Lech-Lecha Abraham, Lot, the Canaanite, and the Promise of the Land Pinhas Leiser Abraham and Lot began their journey together, as it is written; "And Lot went with him" (Genesis 12:4). We can understand from their walking together that at the beginning of his way Lot joined Abraham and connected his fate and goals to the fate of his uncle, who walked following G-d's command from his country and homeland to an unknown country. The Torah tells us very little about Lot and his acceptance...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Noah (link to original page) Parshat Noah "And he sent forth the dove… but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot…": Yehuda Bar Nahman said in the name of Rabbi Shimon: Had she found a resting place, she would not have returned. Similarly we find (Lamentations 1) "She dwells among the nations, she finds no rest." Had she found rest, they would not have returned. Even the Raven Has Rights The dog that guarded Abel's flock was guarding his body against the wild animals and birds, and...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Ha'azino (link to original page) Parshat Ha'azinu HA'AZINU HASHAMAYIM – "Give ear, O heavens" Rabbi Jehoshua of Siknin said: "From here you learn that the heavens have mouth, heart, and ear. 'Mouth', whence? For it is written, 'The heavens declare the glory of G-d.' (Psalms 19:2). And 'heart', whence? For it is written: 'And the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven' (Deut.4:11). And 'ear', whence? For it is written, 'Give ear, '." (Midrash Rabba, Deut.Ch.10) "As an eagle arousing his nest": Likewise the Holy One, blessed be...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat Va'yelech (link to original page) Parshat Vayelech Shabbat Shuva – Yom Kippur 1998 Rabbi Levi said: Great is repentance which reaches the Throne of Glory, as it is written: "Return Israel to the Lord your God" (Babylonian Talmud Tractate Yoma, 86 a) The limits of Moshe's capacity: Various perspectives "I can no longer come and go": could it be that he is exhausted? It comes to teach us that "his eyes had not dimmed and his natural powers had not left him", but what is the meaning of "I can no...