Having A Sense of Humbleness Is Actually Elevating
“I have become small (katonti) from all the kindnesses and from all the truth that You have rendered Your servant, for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps” (Genesis 32:11). This statement is part of Jacob’s plea to God to protect him from his brother Esau who is […]
Jacob Left the Well of Seven Steadfast for Growth
This portion, which contains Jacob’s famous dream of a ladder reaching the heavens, commences with the following verse: “And Jacob went out from Beer Sheva and he went towards Haran” (Genesis 28:10). Rebbe Natan, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s closest disciple, explains this verse’s inner meaning and symbolism in the following manner. Since “Beer Sheva” literally […]
Isaac and Rebecca They Prayed Fervently Opposite One Another
The beginning of the portion of Toldot recounts the struggle of Isaac and Rebecca to have children: “And Isaac prayed to God opposite his wife because she was barren, and the Lord accepted his prayer, and Rebecca his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21). One tradition states that Isaac and Rebecca stood on opposite sides of the […]
The Powerful Crying Of Abraham Over Sarah’s Death
“And Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to cry [mourn] for her” (Genesis 23:2). In this verse, there is a small letter chaf in the word “to cry (ולבכתה).” There are many different commentaries on the meaning of this diminished letter. […]
Understanding The Hebrew Name Of The Book Of Exodus
The Meaning of the Name Shemot In Hebrew, the book of Exodus is called Shemot, which means “names.” On a straightforward peshat level this choice is unremarkable because many Torah portions derive their names from a keyword in their opening verses. Shemot begins with the verse, “And these are the names [shemot] of the […]
King David Strong In The Ways Of Judah’s Repentance
Judah, King David, and Repentance The Talmudic dictum that “the actions of the fathers are a sign to the children” (Sotah 34a) plays a central role in the Torah and in our own lives. In Vayeishev, Judah’s words and actions pave the way for his descendants to engage in teshuvah, sincere repentance, one of Judaism’s […]
Beautiful And Meaningful Facets Of The Name Yisrael
The Name Yisrael The first time a word is introduced in the Torah, it becomes the headquarters, or fundamental context, to understand that word and all its ramifications. The name Israel, or Yisrael in Hebrew, given to Jacob when he defeated the man/angel, is based on the verb to contend, to struggle in the most […]
Find out Secrets of Reincarnation Regarding Jacob and Esau
Reincarnations of Jacob and Esau Jacob and Esau were not only twin brothers, they were archetypal rivals, as was revealed to Rebecca when they were still in her womb: “The children agitated within her, and she said, “If so, why am I thus?” And she went to inquire of God. And God said to her: […]
Abraham: Universally Had The Most Awesome and Powerful Influence
The Influence of Abraham The Torah tells us that after Sarah died, Abraham remarried and had six more children and many grandchildren. The Torah then states that Abraham gave all he had to Isaac and sent the other children and grandchildren to the land of the East with gifts (Genesis 25: 1-7). Drawing upon these […]
Know God as Redeemer – Immediately Pray With Hope
Connecting Redemption to Prayer The cardinal prayer in Judaism is called the Amidah, literally, the standing prayer. When Abraham takes it upon himself to plead for God to not destroy the evil people of Sodom, it says that he was standing before God and then he approached Him in prayer. Abraham standing before God is […]