D’vrei Torah

            My son loves wrestling. He loves it so much that he has corrupted my 11-year-old grandson to the extent that they watch together. How appropriate for this week’s portion. In contrast to our portion’s [Read more…]

            This is the portion starring Isaac. He becomes the transitional figure in the Patriarchal narrative. We meet the famous stories of the birthright and Isaac’s blessing of Jacob over Esau and the age old [Read more…]

            Vayera! A portion that will challenge us, even in the best of times. But this week, well, it hits us with a gut punch. The portion is filled with powerful scenes, from the three [Read more…]

                This is one of our most powerful portions. It is a portion of transition and prophecy. It contains many themes, from the “wife-sister” motif to the rite of circumcision, from the first [Read more…]

            We come this week to that righteous man “in his generation”: Noah. The portion is much more complex that meets the eye. What does it mean to be righteous in one’s generation? Is that [Read more…]

            How strange, in many ways, to begin the Torah cycle this week as Israel faces its most challenging moment in decades. What can one say about the idea of creation when so much is [Read more…]