Mindful Torah...and more

In this week’s parashah , Va’ yetze (Genesis/ Bereshit 28:10-32:3), the saga of Jacob continues. After fleeing from the anger of his brother, Esau, he finally arrives in the land of Haran , from where his ancestors came, and find Rebecca , his bride. Later on we also read that Esau marries from the daughters of Canaan and the daughters of Ishmael, his father Isaac's "half brother." The primary narrative in the parashah focuses on Jacob, as he is the patriarch from whom our people take it's name (once it is changed to Israel). The ancient rabbis demonize Esau for the most part, equating his name with the oppressive Roman empire. But in the Torah there is none of this demonization . If we view all the characters in the Torah as representing a part of each of us, much as one might analyze a dream, we can see Esau as that within us which we feel the need to demonize, criticize and ostracize. Only by viewing this piece of us with equanimity and compassion can we walk o...

This week’s parashah /portion is Toledot (Bereshit/Genesis 25:19 – 28:9). It begins with the phrase “these are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac.” We then read the genealogy of Isaac’s descendants. Though this opening seems at first blush to be simple, the great hassidic rebbe Levi Isaac of Berditchev, is drawn to it’s phrasing. He asks (and take some “author’s license” here) why the text focuses on the fact that Abraham begot Isaac, and not that Sarah gave birth to him. In citing various verses from earlier in the book of Bereshit, he first focuses on the righteousness of Isaac in comparison to his half-brother Yishmael (also Abraham’s son, though not Sarah’s). He states that, contrary to what one might believe, Isaac is not automatically considered a tzaddik/righteous person because he is the son of Abraham. Rather, since is the son of a tzadik , Isaac must actually earn the title of tzadik through his actions. Then the commentary takes a turn th...

This week's parashah is Hayyei Sarah (Bereshit/Genesis 23:1-25:18). Though the name of the parashah means "life of Sarah" it actually begins by recounting her death at the age of 127. Our matriarchs often get forgotten as compared to their husbands, and yet Sarah is the only one of all of our seven biblical patriarchs and matriarchs whose name is used in the title of a parashah. Though this might seem strange at first, it is quite fitting. For if one looks at the character of Sarah as portrayed both in the Torah itself and in the midrash (rabbinic exegetical tales) written later on she surely deserves recognition. Within the Torah Sarah is a character that is seen as strong, yet flexible. When she thinks that her son Isaac is being threatened by his brother Ishmael she immediately protects him by insisting that Abraham cast out Ishmael and his mother Hagar. Though her actions may be viewed by us as harsh and disproportionate to any actual threat, no one can claim that ...

This week's parashah /portion is Va'yera (Bereshit/Genesis 18:1 – 22:26). In this parashah we read of the Akeidah , or binding, of Isaac/ Yitzhak . After casting out his son Ishmael and his mother Hagar earlier in the chapter, Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac. He takes Isaac, along with 2 servant boys, to Mt. Moriah. Leaving the two servants at the foot of the mountain, Abraham and Isaac ascend to the summit. There, Isaac, whom the rabbis claim was 37 years old, allows himself to be bound to the altar in order to be sacrificed. At the moment when Abraham raises the knife, an angel of God calls out to him to stop and instructs him to instead sacrifice a ram that God has provided and who is stuck in a thicket by his horns. Abraham unties Isaac and then sacrifices the ram. There is no mention of Isaac when this sacrifice takes place and the Torah says that Abraham and his servants return to Beersheba alone – without Isaac. Abraham and Isaac never see each o...