HAYE SARAH, Genesis 23:1-25:18 When the dramatic events were over, Abraham and Isaac traveled home to Beersheva. So it's surprising that at the beginning of this week's portion, we find Abraham traveling to Hebron to bury his wife. What was she doing there, and why did Abraham make a special journey to arrange her burial? To understand the relationship between...
VAYERA, Genesis 18:1-22:24 This week's Torah portion contains one of the most famous occurrences of divine punishment, ranking right up there with the flood and the Tower of Babel: the destruction of several cities and the saving of Abraham's nephew Lot. Ask any child which cities were destroyed, and he or she will tell you that it was only Sodom...
LECH LECHA, Genesis 12:1-17:25 "Lech Lecha! Go forth." These are the words that God speaks to Abraham at the beginning of this week's portion. With that, the drama of the patriarchs and matriarchs is put into motion -- Abraham's wanderings, Sara's barrenness, the birth of Ishmael -- all begin in this portion. But I am most captivated by those opening...
Noach, Genesis 6:9-11:32 "Why," asks the Slonimer Rebbe, "does the Torah begin with so many accounts of degradation?" Both this week's sedra and its predecessor are rife with accounts of faithlessness, murder, violence, perversion and hubris. No sooner do we leave Bereshit's narrative of humanity's expulsion from Paradise and Cain's murder of Abel then we are greeted by Noah's story...
BERESHIT, Genesis 1:1-6:8 Do you remember the first time you ever looked up into the heavens on a dark night and discovered that the sky was full of twinkling, magical stars? Whatever your age -- whether you were alone or with a sibling, holding the hand of a parent or other trusted adult -- do you remember your awe at...
Sivan 13, 5773
