Unnecessary Precautions In this week’s Torah reading, Yaakov (Jacob) prepared to meet his brother Eisav (Esau). Yaakov was returning to his homeland, where Eisav lived, after being away for many […]
Judaism 101
The Rabbis teach that, ideally, one should light the menorah at the entrance to one’s house, so that the mezuzah is on the right of the doorway and the menorah […]
The Harm of Passive Exposure You’re likely familiar with the Chanukah (Hannukah) story: The Syrian Greek tyrant, Antiochus, outlaws the practice of Judaism and forces our ancestors to worship the […]
Honesty Despite Deceit This week’s Torah reading tells us about the time Yaakov (Jacob) spent with his uncle, who was also his father-in-law, Lavan. Lavan hired Yaakov to be his […]
In the beginning of this week’s Torah reading, Esav (Esau) sold his first-born status to his brother Yaakov (Jacob), in exchange for a dish of lentils. The verse says that […]
When wet cement is poured, there’s a certain draw to etch something in it. Often people write their initials, in a metaphysical attempt to capture eternity and leave a legacy […]
The Final Test From God The Mishnah (Avos 5:3) says that our patriarch, Abraham, was handed ten major tests by God. Rabbeinu Yonah writes that the final test was an […]
The Snooze Function If you use an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning, or even in the afternoon, you’re probably familiar with a feature called, “snooze.” First […]
What Does God Want From Me Now? In this week’s Torah reading (17:1), God asks of Avraham Avinu (our patriarch Abraham) to walk in front of Him and be “complete.” […]
