Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayetze AND JACOB SAID WHEN HE SAW THEM, "THIS IS THE CAMP OF GOD," AND HE NAMED THE PLACE MAHANAIM. (Bereishit 32:3) Mahanaim Two camps, outside the land, who came with him up to here, and of Israel, who came to greet him (from Tanchuma Vayishlach 3). (Rashi on Bereishit 32:3, Judaica Press translation) Angels of God met him – To aid him on his...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Toldot SO JACOB DREW NEAR TO ISAAC HIS FATHER, AND HE FELT HIM, AND HE SAID, "THE VOICE IS THE VOICE OF JACOB, BUT THE HANDS ARE THE HANDS OF ESAU." The Alternative Scenario As for Isaac's thinking: it seems to me that he wanted to bless Esau to make him his favorite because game was in his mouth. He wanted to reserve more blessing and success for him than for his brother,...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Chaye Sara AND SHE HASTENED AND LOWERED HER PITCHER FROM UPON HER, AND SHE SAID, 'DRINK, AND I WILL ALSO WATER YOUR CAMELS.' SO I DRANK, AND SHE ALSO WATERED THE CAMELS. (Bereishit 24:46) One should not divine the future like an idolater, for it says, You shall not practice divination (VaYikra 19:26). What is divination? For example, those who say, "Since my bread fell from my mouth, or my staff fell from my...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayera AND ABRAHAM TOOK THE WOOD FOR THE BURNT OFFERING, AND HE PLACED UPON HIS SON ISAAC, AND HE TOOK INTO HIS HAND THE FIRE AND THE KNIFE, AND THEY BOTH WENT TOGETHER. (Bereishit 22:6) AND ABRAHAM SAID, "GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR HIMSELF THE LAMB FOR THE BURNT OFFERING, MY SON." AND THEY BOTH WENT TOGETHER. (Bereishit 22:8) and they both went together Abraham, who knew that he was going to slaughter his...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Lech-Lecha RISE, WALK THROUGH THE LAND, THROUGH ITS LENGTH AND ITS BREADTH FOR I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. (Bereishit 13:17) We learned: R. Elazer said in the name of R. Yosi: Once I entered Alexandria, Egypt. There I found an old man, who said to me: "Come and I will show you what my fathers did to your fathers; they drowned some of them in the sea; some they slew by the sword;...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Noah NOAH, WITH HIS SONS, HIS WIFE, AND HIS SON'S WIVES, WENT INTO THE ARK BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD. OF THE CLEAN ANIMALS, OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT CLEAN, OF THE BIRDS, AND OF EVERYTHING THAT CREEPS ON THE GROUND, TWO EACH, MALE AND FEMALE, CAME TO NOAH INTO THE ARK, AS GOD HAD COMMANDED NOAH. (Bereishit 7:7-9) THEY CAME TO NOAH, INTO THE ARK, TWO OF ALL FLESH IN WHICH...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Bereishit WHEN GOD BEGAN TO CREATE HEAVEN AND EARTH – THE EARTH BEING UNFORMED AND VOID, WITH DARKNESS OVER THE SURFACE OF THE DEEP AND A WIND CAME FROM GOD SWEEPING OVER THE WATER – GOD SAID, "LET THERE BE LIGHT"; AND THERE WAS LIGHT. GOD SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS GOOD, AND GOD SEPARATED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS. GOD CALLED THE LIGHT DAY, AND THE DARKNESS HE CALLED NIGHT. AND THERE WAS EVENING...