The tables are turned. Once upon a time, Yosef was left vulnerable, thrown in a pit by his brothers, soon to be sold into slavery for 20 pieces of silver. Now, they have come to Egypt desperate for rations with a famine raging in the region. And it is none other than Yosef who is Continue Reading »
We will soon be celebrating the miracle of Hanukkah. Or, more accurately, the miracles of Hanukkah. We light candles for eight days to commemorate the extraordinary staying power of one small cruse of oil for eight days when the Hasmoneans recaptured and rededicated the Temple. But what about the Hasmonean victory over the Seleucid Greeks? Continue Reading »
We Jews are understandably jumpy these days. Yet another act of violent hatred against our People in Jersey City is deeply unsettling, and it is natural for us to be frightened. Our ancestor Ya’akov also had good reason to be anxious at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlah. He hasn’t seen his twin Continue Reading »
When we think of the many stories of sibling rivalry in Sefer Bereshit, the Book of Genesis, we tend to focus on brothers. But let’s not forget that in this week’s Torah portion, Vayeitzei, the relationship between two sisters, Leah and Rahel, is front and center. There are several ways that the Torah draws our attention to Continue Reading »
In the religion of Biblical Israel, as in many societies, being the first-born was of great signficance. In Deuteronomy 21:15-17, we learn the legal impications of first-born status: “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, but the first-born is Continue Reading »
There is trouble in King David’s palace, and not for the first time. The king is elderly and cannot stay warm. All around him there is turmoil and uncertainty. As his days are numbered, who will succeed him and ascend to the throne? In a scene reminiscent of the tragic, failed rebellion of Avshalom, Adoniyah Continue Reading »
As we mark Veterans’ Shabbat this week as is our tradition at HHBJC, let’s all visualize the image of a military cemetery. We can see it in our mind’s eye, even if we’ve never been to Normandy or Arlington. We see a vast array of crosses, with an occasional Jewish star sprinkled in. That has Continue Reading »
All the rain we’ve had in the last two weeks may be annoying, but I’d hardly consider it frightening. From the picture the Torah paints in this week’s Torah portion, Noah, I imagine that the victims of the flood would have been terrified from the moment the skies opened and the rains came down in a Continue Reading »
If you look carefully at the first chapters of the Torah, you will notice two different creation stories. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 were traditionally understood to be one and the same narrative, but there are many clear differences between them. As we studied together in the waning minutes of Simhat Torah, the most glaring Continue Reading »
It’s one of the Hebrew Bible’s most famous passages: chapter three of Kohelet, or Ecclesiastes. Pete Seeger’s folk song popularized it, and The Byrds recorded the version most people know: Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season). In our annual chapter-by-chapter ritual reading of Kohelet, we will chant and ruminate on this poignant passage this Shabbat Hol Continue Reading »
