Tzav – When the Eternal Flame Goes Out
I grew up staring at an “eternal flame.” One day, it was gone.
It took me years to realize the lesson wasn’t that the flame failed, it’s that someone has to keep it alive.
Tag Archives: parsha
The Egyptian Converts Everyone Blames. Don’t Get Mixed Up.
The Sages blame many wilderness failures on the Erev Rav, the Egyptian converts.
But was this about scapegoating a group… or diagnosing influence?
What if the real danger wasn’t them, but what they mixed into us?
Bo – We Left Egypt. Did We Take the Bitterness With Us?
When the Israelites left Egypt, they chose to take the leftover maror with them. It wasn’t commanded. It was carried.
What we do with our pain after freedom might matter as much as how we survive it.
Va’eira – Did God Take Away Pharaoh’s Free Will?
Did God take away Pharaoh’s free will—or did he trap himself? Explore how pride and unchecked desire can weigh down the heart, even in the face of miracles.
Vayechi – Sorry, Not Sorry: When “It Worked Out” Isn’t an Apology
In Vayechi, Joseph’s brothers approach him after their father’s death, but their fear and his restrained response show that true reconciliation never fully happened. Why?
The Limits of Fatherhood: How to Support While Letting Go.
Becoming a father again has me reflecting on Vayigash: how we support our children, how we let go, and how faith guides us when we can’t protect them completely. Yosef shows that true parenthood is both care and trust.
Colorful Coats, Hanukkah Pajamas, and a Shirt in a Married Woman’s Hand: What Do Your Clothes Say About You?
Vayeishev keeps coming back to clothing—Yosef’s coat, his garment in Potiphar’s house, Yehuda’s cloak. Each one reveals identity in a surprising way. As Chanukah begins, I reflected on what our own “garments” say about us, and how the holiday pushes us to show who we really are.
Did the Man Who Violated Dina Become Rabbi Akiva?
A surprising kabbalistic tradition links Shechem’s corrupted desire to Rabbi Akiva’s sanctified passion.
Yaakov Became Angry With Rachel: Can Lashing Out Ever Be Justified in Marriage?
In a moment of deep vulnerability, Rachel cried to Yaakov for help. Instead of comfort, she got a flash of anger. Was Yaakov justified or was this a tragic mistake?
Yaakov Wasn’t a Moderate — Leadership Takes More Than the Middle Ground
The American political divide isn’t just about policy—it reflects two deep spiritual forces that have shaped the world since Creation. By exploring how Avraham, Yitzchak, and especially Yaakov balanced these forces, we can rethink what real leadership demands.
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 