Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

In Parashat VaYigash, Joseph finally reveals his true identity to his brothers.  He loads them with all sorts of riches from Egypt and tells them to return with their families so they can settle in Egyptand survive the famine under Joseph's supervision. In the midst of their newfound wealth and security, Joseph gives them a strange piece of instruction. "Do not be quarrelsome along the way." Why would Joseph say that?  And why, especially, in the midst of a joyous reunion, amidst unexpected wealth and success? Read more...

Our age is entranced by the hints and possibilities encoded in dreams. Rapt and eager, we attend the modern priests of the subconscious, the analysts and therapists; eagerly, we sit at their feet, lie on their couches, flashing their interpretations as beacons to illumine our depths.   Read more...

So often, with our focus on building larger edifices or increasing synagogue membership or cultivating contributions for a deserving charity, we forget the original purpose for Jewish identity. We were not called to be Jews in order to spread borscht-belt humor, or to convince everybody to eat bagels or to provide a voice for the Federation to call once each year. We were called -- and are enjoined still -- to be a holy nation, a people of priests. Read more...

One of the central features of this week's Torah portion is the attention it lavishes on Abraham's efforts to acquire property in the Land of Israel. Having wandered from Haran in northern Mesopotamia into the Nile region of Egypt, and finally back up to Israel, Abraham confronts the unpleasant necessity of burying his beloved wife, Sarah, while also providing a final resting place for his own remains. Read more...

It’s one of the most poignant moments in the Torah’s earliest narratives. Abram’s nephew, Lot, is now dwelling in the town of Sodom. He is prosperous and busy, and one imagines him thinking that he is a prominent member of the community. Out of the blue, he receives visitors who turn out to be angels sent to announce the impending destruction of Sodom because of the wickedness of the town’s inhabitants. Read more...