When one reads through Parshat Shemot, one can easily become engrossed in Moshe’s story. Whether it’s the defiance of Pharaoh’s decree by placing him in a basket; whether it’s the anonymous women in 2:1-10 who save him more

"And Yosef died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them” … more

It was finally the day. After over a year of training, I was finally about to get my bars and join the family of IDF officers. My parents had flown in from the US for the occasion, along with my … more

By the time Yaakov dies at age 147, in parashat Vayechi,his sons range in age from 62 (Reuven) to 56 (Yosef, Zevulun, and possibly Asher), to around 48 (Binyamin). As we know how old Yosef is … more

The concluding verses of  parashat Vayechi present Yosef’s final words to his brothers. They contain both a reminder of Hashem’s promise to ultimately redeem the Jewish people from … more

This week’s Torah portion, Vayechi, includes Yaakov’s last words to his sons. He described his fourth son, Yehuda, as a lion, and stated that the scepter of kingship would never depart … more

After 22 years of separation, Yaakov was finally to be reunited with his beloved son Yosef. Yaakov and family came to Egypt where Yosef had risen to a position second only to Pharaoh. The Torah … more

Our Sages, in Tosefta Berachot 4:17-18, ask a fundamental question: “Why did Yehuda merit kingship?” After all, each of the brothers was great in his own way. Why, then, was … more

I have known more than my share of families torn by discord. Most of us know a family in which brothers and sisters have not spoken to each other in years, sometimes having forgotten the original … more

After a cliffhanger at the end of last week’s Torah portion, our parsha, Vayigash, opens with arguably the most impassioned plea in all of the Bible — Yehuda pouring out his heart to … more