Weekly Torah Reading, Bo’, January 20, 2018

With a Heavy Heart   Among the not-so-brilliant sermons I’ve heard over the years was one about this week’s Torah reading, Bo’. “The Almighty,” the rabbi began, “says to Moses, bo’ el par‘oh, ‘Come to Pharaoh.’ He doesn’t say ‘Go …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Va’era, January 13, 2018

“Alas for Those Who Have Passed Away”   The first two verses of this week’s reading have long posed a problem for interpreters. God says to Moses, “I am the Lord.” (Here the Torah uses God’s holiest name, the one …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading Shemot January 6, 2018

“Mind Your Own Business”   Sometimes seemingly trivial matters of wording are important.   In this week’s reading the Torah recounts how Pharaoh, obsessed with the growing threat posed by the Hebrew slaves in his country, ordered that every newborn …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Vayḥi, December 30, 2017

The Once and Future Scepter   At the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons together in order to give each of them his fatherly blessing. But in fact, his three oldest sons didn’t end up being blessed at …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading,Va-yiggash December 23, 2017

After They’ve Seen Paree   After Joseph revealed his true identity to him brothers, he sent them back to Canaan to tell their father Jacob the good news: his long-lost son Joseph was still alive and was, in fact, the …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Mikketz, December 16, 2017

The Fear of God   Joseph’s abilities as a dream interpreter eventually landed him a job as a high Egyptian official in charge of grain supplies. Meanwhile his family in Canaan had begun to feel the effects of the predicted …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyeshev, December 9, 2017

His Father’s Face   In this week’s reading, it is said that Jacob “loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age” (Gen 37:3). This sounds like a mistake: if the phrase …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyishlaḥ, December 2, 2017

Dinah’s Story   The story of Dinah (Genesis chapter 34) starts badly enough: Jacob’s only daughter is seized and raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor. (Hamor is the ruler of a city that, perhaps not coincidentally, bears the same …

Read More »