Weekly Torah Reading, Ḥayyei Sarah, October 30, 2021

Genesis 23:1-28:9 A Gene in the Family   In this week’s portion, Abraham sends his (unnamed) servant to the city of Nahor to find a bride for his son Isaac. When the servant arrives, we are introduced to two important …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading Vayyera’ October 23, 2021

Genesis chapters 18:1-22:24 “Now I know…”   The Torah’s account of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac has raised questions among readers since ancient times. Among other things, commentators wondered why God needed to test Abraham in the first place. …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Lekh-Lekha, October 16, 2021

Genesis 12:1-17:27 Now I Know…   This week’s reading contains one particularly puzzling episode. After Abraham has arrived in Canaan, a famine strikes the land, and he and his wife Sarah are forced to travel down to Egypt in search …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Noah, October 9, 2021

Genesis 6:9-11:32   The Bad Side of Tower-Building   This week’s Torah reading ends with a somewhat mysterious incident, the building of the Tower of Babel. The Torah recounts that a ragtag band of people (apparently all of humanity at …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Bereshit, October 2, 2021

Genesis 1:1-6:9 Blind Luck This week’s reading opens with an account of the creation of the world, including the creation of the first two human beings, Adam and Eve. These chapters are so significant that we tend to overlook the …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading for Sukkot, Exodus 33:12-34:26

September 25, 2021   Leaving You Here   This week’s Shabbat reading follows the disastrous episode of the Golden Calf. As such, it may seem to have no direct connection to Sukkot, but it does recount an important (and sometimes …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Ha’azinu, September 18, 2021

Deuteronomy 32:1-52 This Shabbat’s Torah reading consists of Moses’ farewell song, known in Hebrew by its first word Ha’azinu (“Give ear!”). In it, Moses recounts Israel’s prior history, starting back in “days of yore,” when things were fine, but then …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyelekh, September 11, 2021

Deuteronomy 31:1-30 Moses Didn’t Want to Die In this week’s Torah reading, God instructs Moses that the time has come for him to die—in fact, He says this more than once. The reading opens with Moses relating that “the Lord …

Read More »