There are jokes which are very funny on the surface but which, upon reflection, can be quite painful and disturbing. One of them, told frequently a few decades ago, concerns a matronly woman from the … more

Al HaNissim is recited in the Shemoneh Esrai and Birkat Hamazon on the two rabbinically-enacted chagim of Chanukah and Purim. Chanukah’s version contains the expression “am’echa … more

The vision of what it would mean to command men was evaporating before my eyes. Two weeks after completing IDF Officer’s course, I had been looking forward to the challenges of mission … more

The deception has taken place. Joseph was sold into slavery; his brothers dipped his coat in blood and they bring it back to their father, saying: “Look what we have found. Do you recognize … more

Before the sale of Yosef, Yosef is on a mission. Walking near Shechem, looking lost, he encounters a “man” (the rabbis identify him as an angel) who says two words to him, Mah … more

Ignorance is bliss.” There was a time not too long ago when these three words would engender a long and interesting discussion, perhaps even debate. There would have been speculation about … more

The beginning of our parasha, Vayishlach, depicts Ya’akov Avinu’s return to Eretz Yisrael and the preparations he undertook before encountering his estranged brother, Eisav. What … more

Twenty-two years have passed since Jacob fled his brother, penniless and alone, since Esau swore his revenge for what he saw as the theft of his blessing. Now the brothers are about to meet … more

There is something special about meeting up with an old friend one hasn’t seen in years. I recently had just such a special experience, when I spent a weekend in a community where a friend … more

Parshat Vayishlach begins with Yaakov’s worries over finally meeting Eisav after many years apart. And while that encounter goes surprisingly pareve-ly, his next significant stop, in Shechem, … more