Lech Lecha – The One You Can’t Reach — By Ben
Last week’s post had a question. When comparing two tzaddiks, Noah and Avraham, why is one known as the father of the Jewish people while the other is known for […]
Category Archives: Genesis/Bereishis
Is a Rainbow a Good Thing? — By Ben
A few weeks ago, I was practicing Hebrew with my mom over Facetime (as is our Friday morning ritual). Usually we practice the prayer for healing, or the shema, or […]
Vayechi – End of Days — By Ben
With parsha Vayechi, we end the book of Bereishis (aka Genesis). It feels just like yesterday we were at Rosh Hashanah closing in on the end of the Torah. As […]
Excuses; A False Security — By Ben
Parsha Vayigash starts in the midst of the cliffhanger from last week. If you’re just joining us, Yoseph after having been sold into slavery by his 10 older brothers, has […]
When Will It Finally Happen? – Mikeitz — By Ben
…וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים The parsha starts out with the phrase, “It happened at the end of two years…” as Yoseph is finally released from his Egyptian prison. From here […]
A Light In the Dark – Chanukah and Yoseph
A Sefer Torah can be written in Greek and it is considered kosher. Kinda odd given that if a Torah isn’t perfectly scribed on parchment with intricate details maintained from […]
Vayishlach – Worrisome Reunions
It always amuses me when parsha Vayishlach falls around (or in this case, on) the week of Thanksgiving. With Yaakov returning home to see his brother… the brother he stole […]
The Torah’s Mr. White — By Ben
Whether it is Breaking Bad’s Walter White, Harvey Keitel’s character in Reservoir Dogs, or the Casino Royale Bond villain, there’s something about naming a bad guy Mr. White. You might think […]
Facing Unpleasant Truths — By Ben
When I lived in Manhattan I had this job at a restaurant near the Natural History Museum. The management was abusive, the tips were abysmal, the brunch shift was a […]
Chayei Sarah – How a Wedding is Like a Funeral – By Ben
There’s a line in Koheles (Ecclesiastes 7:2) that basically says, If there’s a choice between going to a wedding and a funeral. Go to the funeral. The reason being that nothing connects […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 