“Do not on any account enrol the tribe of Levi or take a census of them with the Israelites.” (Numbers 1:49) Below are the words of Dr. David Ackerman: Parashat Bamidbar opens the fourth book of the Torah, also called Bamidbar, in the wilderness of… In Bamidbar, God orders Moses to prepare the Israelites for their wilderness trek by conducting a conduct a census…
Tag: Yaakov
Vayishlach וישלח
This Shabbat, again, I am bringing you two of the commentaries that I enjoy: “Jacob set up a monument over her grave; it is the monument of Rachel’s grave until today.” (Genesis 35:20) Parashat Vayishlach describes Jacob’s return home to Canaan and his encounter with his estranged brother, Esau, twenty years after their falling out. There’s…
Vayeitzei וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב, מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע; וַיֵּלֶךְ, חָרָנָה
Today, again I am bringing you the D’var on Parshat Vayeitei from my colleague, Dr. Ackerman: “Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.” (Genesis 28:18) Parashat Vayeitzei describes Jacob’s…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Vayechi
Over roughly 3000 years after מתן תורה – the revelation of the Torah, there has been written numerous commentaries on every parshah, every pasuk, and pretty much, every word of the Torah. So, most of the times I am asking myself, no doubt as many do, what can I say that is different from other sayings, especially knowing that such…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses -Vayeshev
This is another parshah of family relationships in the Torah. This time, relationships between men. Father, sons, brothers. It is well known that Yaakov’s sons from his three wives had a difficult time understanding why Yosef was treated differently by his father than any of them. Yosef was the eldest son of Rachel, Yaakov’s beloved wife, who…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses -Vayeitze
This week’s Parshah is full of family stories, deceit and internal Torah connections. Michael Hattin is making some great comments juxtaposing the story of Yaakov with the story of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. Do listen to his view on these connections based on the use of verbs, mostly, in both parashot. We see Yaakov running…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses –Toldot
This Parshah seems to contain many inner family struggles. First, it reminds us again that each birth is a miracle. As other imahot – אִמָּהוֹת – pra-mothers, Rivka did not immediately give birth. כא וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַיהוָה לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ, כִּי עֲקָרָה הִוא; וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ יְהוָה, וַתַּהַר רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ. 21 And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife,…
