Bereshit (Genesis)
(Originally published in October 2020, in honor of my father’s seventh yahrtzeit). In this essay, I explore the meaning of a song I learned from my father as a child — koh amar Hashem. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: A Song For My Father about חן — Grace (Parashat Noah) Read More »
Why is God’s first creation light? We talk a lot about compassion, but often in addition to or maybe even before compassion, we need clarity. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: First Comes Clarity (Parashat Bereishit) Read More »
I have never understood the Rashi at the beginning of this week’s parsha. Rashi is responding to theTorah’s lengthy way of telling us Sarah’s age at death — vayeheyu hayei Sarah me’ah shanah ve’esrim shanah . . . . ”Sarah’s lifetime was 100 years and 20 years and 7 years — this was the span
SHORT ESSAY: A Post-humous Celebration of Sarah (Parashat Chayei Sarah) Read More »
When God appears to Avraham in the beginning of this week’s parsha, what is Avraham doing? He is yoshev petah ha’ohel , “sitting in the opening of the tent,” ready to greet and welcome and honor whoever happens to come by. He sits in a posture of openness towards the world; if war comes,
Parashat Vayera: Inviting in Whoever Comes Read More »
The Torah portrays a world in which God does care about a single person, no matter how messed up. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: You Matter! (Parashat Vayetze) Read More »
I was taking a walk the other day, feeling a little glum, when I noticed the ginkgo tree up the street. The sky was blue and the sun was shining on it just so, making its yellow leaves radiant and aglow. I stopped in wonder and thought, “Thank you, God, for this gift today.” I
SHORT ESSAY: The Sun Rises Just For You (Parashat Vayishlach) Read More »
The Torah says that Yitzhak loved Esav ki tzayid befiv, “because” of the hunting that Esav used to bring him to eat, while Rivka loved Yaakov. There is no reason attached to Rivka’s love; she simply loved him. The rabbis cite this love as an example of ahavah she’einah teluya badavar, a love that, unlike Yitzhak’s, is
SHORT ESSAY: Rivka’s Love (Parashat Toldot) Read More »
One kind act can shift the course of history. In this week’s parsha, Yaakov hears that Esav is approaching with 400 men. Was Esav planning an aggressive attack? The Torah doesn’t tell us but Yaakov certainly thinks so. The possible destruction of the future Jewish people is headed off by what? By Yaakov’s overflowing generous
SHORT ESSAY: One Kind Act (Parashat Vayishlach) Read More »
God takes different forms on this earth. When Avraham interacts with God’s messengers in the world, they are visitors, wandering strangers who are in need of hospitality. The face of God in the world for Avraham is the face of hospitality, of hesed, of people in need of help. For Yaakov, on the other hand, God’s
SHORT ESSAY: Our Enemies Are Our Angels (Parashat Vayishlach) Read More »
I noticed the other day, as I was making a personal petition to God, that what I was praying for was that God should help me accomplish my goals. Suddenly such prayer seemed very wrong, almost idolatrous, as if instead of worshipping God, I was worshipping my own ambitions/desires, and subordinating God, too, to this
SHORT ESSAY: Aligning with the Divine (Parashat Vayishlach) Read More »