Efrat, Israel — “Your children shall ask you, ‘What is this service to you?’ You must answer ‘It is the Passover service to G-d’” (Exodus 12:26,27). This week’s Biblical portion details the genesis of the first great holiday of the Hebrew calendar as well as of Jewish history, the Festival of Passover.  But what is [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “And Egypt shall know that I am G-d when I stretch My hand over Egypt: and I shall take the Children of Israel out from among them” (Exodus 7:5). The portion of Va’era opens at a time of grave despair. At the conclusion of last week’s reading, Moses had accepted G-d’s call [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “And a new king rose up over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). The Book of Exodus takes us from the foundations of a family in Genesis to the development of a nation. Ironically, the first time the children of Israel are referred to as a nation is after the [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — And Jacob called to his sons and said “Gather together and I shall tell you what will befall you at the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). The mesmerizing, magnificent and majestic historical parable of Jacob and his sons, Joseph and his brothers, comes to a riveting, but nevertheless peaceful climax-denouement this week. [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “And a man found him, when he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him ‘What are you seeking?’ And he said, ‘I am seeking my brothers.’” (Genesis 37:15) What is an angel, and what role do angels play in Jewish tradition? Perhaps we can find an explanation in part [ Read More...]

By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist The mosquitoes are gone, thank G-d. Not only the determined one who pestered me one summer morning in shul during davening, but all of her friends and relatives too. Gone for the fall, winter and spring. And if they all decide to take a collective summer vacation somewhere far [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “He said, it was because his name was Jacob that he has outwitted me these two times” (Genesis 27:36). This week’s portion begins with Jacob leaving his parents’ home in Beersheba and setting out for exile in the home of his uncle, Laban. Our portion will conclude 22 years later, when he [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “These are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham; Abraham gave birth to Isaac” (Genesis 25:19) If Isaac is the son of Abraham, isn’t it obvious that Abraham parented Isaac? What is the significance of the apparent redundancy? Is it possible that Abraham could be a biological parent to a son [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — “And this is the life of Sarah” (Genesis 23: 1) This week’s portion of Hayei Sarah — literally “The Life of Sarah” — is spread across two and a half chapters of the Bible. Chapter 23 of the Book of Genesis deals with Sarah’s death and Abraham’s protracted negotiations for the purchase [ Read More...]

Efrat, Israel — After this, Abraham received a message: Milcah has also had children from your brother Nahor: Uz, his first born; Buz, his brother, Kemuel, father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. Bethuel had a daughter, Rebekah. Milcah bore the above eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. [Additionally] Nahor’s concubine was named [ Read More...]