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Parashat Vaera 3 Shevat 5781 by Mauricio Quintero There is only one Unique God As I read through this week’s portion “Vaera” – וָאֵרָא- (And I appeared) in Shemot 6: 2-9: 35, the pshat (direct meaning) that stood out to me was the complex political, social, religious and economic background of that time. When we finished Bereshit, […]
If we look at the events unfolding in the world today, it seems that people are going mad. There is so much anger and division. We don’t know who to believe or who we can trust. We seem to have lost our moral compass. https://youtu.be/sXAoZJHsn3A As a 30-year student of the Torah, the answer lies in […]
My name is Peggy Pardo of Kehilat She’ar Yashuv. I’d like to do a series on the Ten Commandments in honor of our beloved rabbi Netanel Ben Yochanan who has now gone to be with his forefathers and his wonderful teaching to his community. I don’t want to speak out simply because I have a mouth. There […]
25 Tevet 5781 Exodus 1:1- 6:1 This week, we begin the second of the five books of the Torah, Shemot also called by our sages “HaSefer Hageulah” (the Book of Redemption). Everything that happens in this book takes place within a community, where the main player is the people, unlike the book of Bereshit which […]
18 Tevet 5781 The Mishnah (Pirkei Avot 3: 1) quotes Akavia ben Mehalalel: “Consider three things, and you will not sin. You must know where you come from, where you are going and to whom you will eventually be accountable for everything you have done”. As I read this portion from Pirkei Avot, I realized […]
Parashat Vayigash יגש 11 Tevet 5781 “And he drew near or then he drew near” This parashah should be about Yehudah, after all, it begins with Vayigash eilaiv Yehudah יגש אליו יהודה – Yehudah draws near to Joseph. In a way, it teaches us to VAYIGASH – draw near – to Adonai Elohim. We are not perfect; we are humans, with errors, problems, imperfections, […]
Bereshit 37-40 This week’s Parashah, Vayeshev tells the story of Joseph and his brothers. We can only try to imagine what the life of Jacob was like as an elderly father with twelve grown children from different mothers and each with personalities of their own. I wonder how Jacob (and the mothers, of course) would […]
This parashah in the Torah, Vayishlach reminds us of our humanity – of our fears, desires, aspirations, dreams, our internal struggle and our social condition. But the most beautiful thing about it, is that it teaches us how to overcome our adversities, how to become better people, better parents, better children, better siblings and that […]
Shalom Parashat Vayetze 12 Kislev 5781 By Rabino Iosef Chemi Today we are going to look at Parashat Vayetze. I want to read Bereshit, Genesis chapter 28 pasuk, verse 17 יִּירָא, וַיֹּאמַר, מַה-נּוֹרָא, הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה: אֵין זֶה, כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹהִים, וְזֶה, שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם. “And he was afraid and said: ‘How awesome is this place! this is none other […]
Toledot 5 Kislev 5781 This parashah speaks about the toledot (history) of Isaac, Esau and Jacob, but there are other Toledot: Toledot Adam (Bereshit 5:1-6:8); toledot Noah (Bereshit 6:9-9:20) Toledot Shem, Ham, Japheth (Bereshit 10:1-11:9); Toledot Shem (Bereshit 11;10-26); toledot Terah (Bereshit 11:27- 32); Toledot Ishmael (Bereshit 25:12-18); Toledot Isaac Bereshit 25:19-35:29; Toledot Esau (Bereshit 36:1-37:1), […]