Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Bo So Moses stretched forth his hand toward the heavens, and there was thick darkness over the entire land of Egypt for three days. They did not see each other, and no one rose from his place for three days, but for all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings. (Shemot 10:22-23) thick darkness – …That is why darkness came in response to their having worked that noble people harshly, as if to...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vaera And there was hail, and fire flaming within the hail, very heavy, the likes of which had never been throughout the entire land of Egypt since it had become a nation. (Shemot 9:24) within the hail – Our rabbis did not interpret within as in betokh Bneu Yisrael , where its meaning is like the word bein – "between" – marking a division between two things. Rather it is like kol asher...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Shemot On the occasion of the 80th birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King (Born January 15th 1929) who taught and lived a Torah that speaks justice to power. They met Moses and Aaron standing before them when they came out from Pharaoh's presence. And they said to them, "May the Lord look upon you and judge, for you have brought us into foul odor in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants,...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayechi Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?" Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." So he said, "Now bring them near to me, so that I may bless them." (Bereishit 48:8-9) What Did Israel See? Then Israel saw – The Hebrews' dress was different from the Egyptians'. Joseph was close to the monarchy, as were his sons, they dressed in the garb of...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayigash And if it comes to pass that Pharaoh calls you and asks, 'What is your occupation?' You shall say, 'Your servants have been owners of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our ancestors,' so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians." (Bereishit 46:33-34) because all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians – This is a sign that the Egyptians did not eat...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Miketz And he fell asleep and dreamed again, and behold, seven ears of grain were growing on one stalk, healthy and good. (Bereishit 41:5) Growing on one stalk – A sign of sufficient plenty. It is more explicit than the earlier , since they were healthy and good even though they competed with each other for sustenance . (Hizkuni Bereishit 41:5) and...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And he again dreamed another dream, and he related it to his brothers, and he said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating themselves to me." (Bereishit 37:9) We are told that the relationship began with kina – envy, then sina – hatred came to it. They hated him because they believed that they could recognize his thoughts and plans out of his dreams. But...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayishlah Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: "We came to your brother Esau and moreover he goes forth to meet you and four hundred men are with him. (Bereishit 32:7) It appears to me in this matter that Esau did not receive the messengers properly and paid them no heed. Perhaps they did not even come before him for he did not at all give permission for them to come before him and speak to...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayetze So Jacob took a stone and set it up a monument. And Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones," and they took stones and made a pile, and they ate there by the pile. And Laban called it Yegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Gal ed. And Laban said, "This pile is a witness between me and you today." Therefore, he called it Gal ed. (Bereishit 31: 45-48) And Jacob said to his kinsmen:...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Toldot AND THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND… AND ISAAC WENT TO ABIMELECH THE KING OF THE PHILISTINES, TO GERAR. AND THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM, AND SAID, "DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT; DWELL IN THE LAND THAT I WILL TELL YOU. SOJOURN IN THIS LAND, AND I WILL BE WITH YOU… AND I WILL MULTIPLY YOUR SEED LIKE THE STARS OF THE HEAVENS, AND I WILL GIVE YOUR SEED ALL THESE LANDS, AND ALL...