The name name “Be’er Sheva” appears a total of nine times in Sefer Bereishit, and serves as the opening verse of our parasha, Vayatze: “And Jacob left Be’er Sheva and … more

There is war, and then there is madness. In war, one often has to fight, but when madness sets in, sometimes  one simply has to run. Such was the question on a dark October afternoon in 1973, … more

Bereishit contains many celebrated phrases that have shaped our people’s destiny for all time. One of them occurs in this week’s parasha: “And Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Please … more

I wondered what it was like for Yitzchak and Rivkah to bare their souls before the Almighty in their hopes of having a child. Yitzchak pleaded with G-d opposite his wife (or perhaps, as Rashbam … more

Eli Wiesel describes one of the most painful moments he ever experienced as a push from behind. Shouting, chaos, dogs barking and attacking, SS guards with guns shouting commands in German which … more

Eternity. What does it mean? Does anything really last forever? Many years ago, in the pre-dawn darkness on an empty Jerusalem road, I discovered just how fleeting life can be. After a very late … more

Take a careful look at Bereishit 24:67: “And Yitzchak brought Rivka to his mother’s tent. He took Rivka, she became his wife, and then he loved her, and then he was comforted over the … more

One of the major themes of our parasha, Chayeh Sarah, is Eliezer’s choice of a wife for Isaac from the daughters of Abraham’s birthplace: “And Abraham said to his servant … more

G o to a Yemenite Jewish wedding or Bar Mitzvah and you will hear the women shouting the yelilot traditionally “sung” at all celebrations. I still recall when being called to the Torah … more

I  am currently teaching a weekly parsha class using the commentary of Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, Ha’ktav V’hakabbalah. As it doesn’t appear in a class Chumash, it is less … more