Did you ever notice the strange thing that Isaac says to Esau in sending his elder son out to hunt for his blessing? Isaac has gone blind in his old age, but what troubles him most is uncertainty about his death. He said, behold, I have aged, and I know not the day of my death (27:2). He…
Category: 1 Genesis בראשית
Bringing the God of Heaven Back to Earth: Hayei Sarah 5775
Where is Abraham, the paragon of compassion, when we need him most? Reading the news this week, when antagonists in the holy land have succeeded in spewing hatred in newly violent ways, let’s think about Abraham, the symbol of compassion, of חסד, and try to embody his grace for the sake of all of his…
Laughter Lost by our Wounded Warriors: Vayera 5775
What became of laughter in the home of our first family? Abraham fell down laughing when he got the news that he and Sarah would finally have a child. Sarah too greeted the annunciation with laughter (it never feels fair that only Sarah was criticized for laughing). Even at an advanced age, and after a…
Patriarchs in Search of Peace: Lekh Lekha 5775/2014
One of my favorite songs by the late great Arik Einstein is called אוהב להיות בבית (listen here; lyrics below). He describes the heroic adventures of many people who go off climbing mountains and riding horses, and then says that he, however, prefers to be at home, “with my lemon tea, old books, the same…
Species Purity and the Great Flood: Noah 5775
[Published as a JTS Torah Commentary] Omnicide is a dramatic move, on that we can all agree. But what causes the Creator to grow violently disgusted with the creatures that had just recently been praised as “good” and blessed with fertility? Last year in this space, JTS Provost and Bible Professor Alan Cooper suggested that it…
A Time to Laugh, a Time to Mourn: Shmini Atzeret/ Bereshit 5775
The celebration of two days of Yom Tov here in the diaspora is a decidedly mixed blessing. On the one hand, extending the holidays gives us more time to examine their meaning and to internalize their message. On the other hand, it can often feel like too much of a good thing, especially by Shmini…
Joseph the Lonely Master: Vayyigash 5774
The paradox of VaYigash is that the Joseph who tearfully reconciles with his family in the beginning is the same man, the iron-fisted administrator, who enslaves most of the Egyptian population in the end. There is almost a law of conservation of compassion at play. In verse 47:23, we read, “Joseph spoke to the people, ‘Indeed, I have acquired you and…
Taking Control of our own Destiny: Mikketz/Hanukah 5774
Each year we eavesdrop on Joseph as he eavesdrops on his clueless brothers. He has placed a “melitz” or interpreter between them in order to extend the ruse that he is a foreign potentate rather than their brother. And so he learns that Reuben tried to rescue him from the pit. This is presumably why…
Dina, the Dangerous Sister: Vayishlah 5774
If you could write a subtitle for the book of Genesis, what would it be? My entry would be Genesis: Oh, Brother! That’s because brothers, and the fraught relationships between them, are the beams upon which the structure of this book is built. Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, and of course…
One Runaway Teen, One Patriarch to Be: VaYetze 5774
Temperatures are dropping here in New York City, and winter approaches quickly. I like the cool air—it clears my mind—but then again, I have easy access to a warm and comfortable home day and night. For over 50,000 New Yorkers, there is no such luck. Many stay in shelters, like where I am now, staffing the overnight shift at Ansche…
Born to Strife? Toledot 5774
What determined the respective fates of the twins? Were their futures foretold by Rebecca’s oracle, or rather, by its interpretation? Were their fates traded through the exchange of a bowl of lentil stew for the birthright? Or was it Isaac’s blessing, secured through subterfuge, that sealed the respective paths of the boys? Was it all…
Who Decides for the Girl? Hayei Sarah 5774
A strange man comes to town, bearing heavy gold jewels, looking to “acquire” a wife for his master’s son. He sees a pretty young woman, finds the responsible man, and they set terms, agreeing that the girl will be sent off with this stranger to a foreign land. That is one way to tell the…
Rabbi Danny Nevins 