“And I Will Remove the Sin of That Land in One Day”
Every human being is invited into a hero’s journey, maybe not quite as dramatic as Yosef’s or the Maccabees,’ but equally holy.
The prohibition of gid ha-nasheh is meant to project a broad ethical aspiration, beyond the issue of how we should treat animals.
“For Israel Shall Be Your Name.”
Standing at the crossroads, the Torah reminds us that hatred of the Jew has never been cured by Jewish self-erasure. It has never been softened by Jewish timidity.
One of the greatest of all minchas is actually, the ring that the groom gives to a bride under the chuppah. In order to show that he loves and cares for her.
Why the insane obsession with Israel and Jews?
Their return is happening now. It is not accidental. It is not demographic or sociological. It is prophetic. And with prophecy comes responsibility.
In the midst of the many tragic events in the parasha, Hashem speaks to Yaakov. What is the underlying message in the timing of His words?
We know the problems. We can preach. We can wish for solutions. But none of that brings change. Each of us must take initiative. Start where we can. Do what we can.
Nothing is more important for the survival and welfare of mankind than the ability of enemies to resolve their grievances and to genuinely forgive one another.
Couldn't Yaakov simply avoided his brother?
Does Am Yisrael deserve the Brachot? Do we live up to the title we hold? Are we fulfilling our mission as the chosen nation?
Do we have the resolve to look past the opinions of others and seek the core truth of every person and situation?
The answer is a function of the country's needs.
Rav Kook asserted that in the era of Revival when Diaspora Jews begin to return to Zion in large numbers, the truncated Torah of Exile must be replaced with a Redemption-filled Torah of Light, of Eretz Yisrael, the "Redeeming Torah." This book opens the door to that light.
In the harsh reality he faced, Yehudah did the best he could, say some commentators. At the very least, he saved Yosef from death. Yehudah is praised for recognizing what was achievable. But others criticize him and feel he could have achieved more.
Reading about Yaacov’s marriages to Leah and Rachel is an appropriate time to recall some of the duties incumbent upon Jewish husbands.
Parashat Vayetzei's Ashkenazi and Sepharadi haftorahs are back to back in the book of Hoshea, but have different themes.
Although I am a Hebrew speaker, I traveled to the USA, in order to teach Torah, meet our Jewish brethren, learn about their strengths and the challenges they face, and counteract the negative picture of Israel in the media by describing the gooness of the Land of Israel.
When someone is in harmony, they connect to the soul's source, which exists beyond the limits of linear time. They operate at the level of "thought," which is instant and limitless.
Modeling is the only authentic and impactful form of education.
Whether the Jew is wealthy or poor, mighty or weak, it seems we face our troubles in isolation. Not during the Holocaust, not in 1948, noy today. Except that we are never actually alone.
Is this the country we have been waiting for? Absolutely! It’s not yet total light, but it has a lot of light.
Each of the three daily prayers has its own special nature.
One cannot deny Mamdani’s contribution to the efforts of encouraging Jews to return home.
When hatred becomes normal, when lies replace truth, and when the “faces” around us change, the Torah teaches us to recognize it. That is what Yaakov saw before he returned to Eretz Yisrael.
These are challenging times for our people, and for all good people.
In the end, they parted, by making a covenant - at Laban’s behest - between them, but what did Laban really want?
In this week's parasha, Leah thanks G-d when Yehuda is born and we thank G-d every morning before we get out of bed.
It was not about Kashrut or Shabbat or prayer, but something deeper and more pervasive.
There is a deep, ongoing tension within Am Yisrael regarding which tribe represents the proper approach to the Shechina, and which tribe should host the Mikdash.
May we take this poignant lesson to heart, and understand that Eretz Yisrael cannot be bargained for. It is our land, and the vision and desire of millions of our brethren, over thousands of years of Jewish history, have always rested on the Land of Israel.
Learning how to live one's life by emulating the deeds and words of a great man, a man of extraordinary humility, drive and moral clarity, a leader who carried Klal Yisrael in his heart.
Jews who are invited to the homes of non-Jewish acquaintances for a Thanksgiving meal should keep the Purim story in mind. Yes, it's your life, but the Torah includes the rules on how to live it.
![Guess who's coming for [Thanksgiving] dinner?](https://2.a7.org/files/pictures/203x125/1204437.jpg?autocrop=1 "Courtesy")
Yaakov Avinu reminds us that wherever a Jew may be, his inner compass must point to Eretz Yisrael.
In departing from his parents, Yaakov was in fact obeying their wishes and thus fulfilling the commandment to honor one’s parents. Why then should the Sages say that the length of his absence is a cause for punishment?
Life without familiar faces is difficult - even for great people.
The War of Gog and Magog is described in Ezekiel, Chapter 38, as a war in which all the nations of the world rise up against us, and with God’s help we are victorious.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
The Rebbe said in a letter written to someone inquiring about homosexuality, “if it were beyond human control, Hashem would not have made it a sin.”
Developments in Christian theological thought, and changing attitudes among Jews about engaging with others, may finally have us moving beyond the ancient conflict between Jews and Christians.
Every Jewish male is commanded to write a Torah scroll for himself. Today the practice is to fulfill the commandment of writing a Torah scroll in partnership. A woman too may study from the sacred Torah scroll.
Parents cannot prevent their child from performing a mitzvah, whether it be learning Torah, marrying, praying, or moving to Israel.
Our Sages teach in the Gemara that even one who has no field must give thanks to God, for ultimately the livelihood and survival of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel depend upon rain.
Eisav certainly ranks as one of the worst personalities presented to us in the entire Bible. And yet, here we see that he did excel in something.
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars connect Eretz Yisrael to the parasha. In Parashat Toldot, the Malbim explains that the “Shechina” resides in the Land of Israel.
This week’s Parsha, Toldot, provides understanding of Rav Kook’s philosophy of Jewish militarism and power. It sheds light on what should be a Jew’s attitude toward serving his Nation, and on the use of Jewish power.
Rivkah didn't want to deceive her husband, she Just wanted Jacob to display another side.
Isaac appreciated Esau’s ability to hunt and dominate the beasts, the trait needed to dominate bestial peoples. Could Yaakov do the same?
Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva, founded by Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook, served as the nucleus for the major spiritual and educational role played by Religious Zionism in the Jewish State. Last week thousands of alumni and friends came to offer their thanks and celebrate.
In our time, “the voice of Yaacov,” spoken with supplication, with gentle spirit, and with a sincere desire to bring satisfaction and goodness to others, must serve as a guiding light.
The wondrous outcome of Rivkah's pregnancy, is that all that the nations create in this world, in the end result, is for the benefit of Bnei Israel, in their service of Hashem.
Water has been a defining component of Israel’s history, from Noah’s flood through the lives of our Patriarchs to our own time. It is part of the symbiotic connexion between the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel. As the Land has welcomed its nation back home, so the nation has rejuvenated the Land.
The story of the blessing of Yaakov is full of deception. How can we understand that?
A reflection on the 18th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attack and the Yartzheit of Gavriel Noach and Rivka Holtzberg הי“ד. In memoria
Everyone invited to dinner gets to eat. G-d’s portion is the Torah that we study and the food we give to the poor.
This parasha teaches us that even when the chances of success seem slim, a person must make an effort, do his part, and leave the rest in Hashem’s hands.
From the root of the word atar (“to entreat”), the Sages derived that prayer is heard only when there is peace among those praying.
