Parshat HaShavua

Rabbi Rockoff is the Rabbi of Congregation BIAV, Overland Park, KS. "Yaakov settled in the land of his forefathers sojourning, the land of Canaan." (37:1) In contrast to his brother Esav who settled in Har Seir, Yaakov takes his rightful place as the heir to the land...

Rabbi Romm is the Rabbi of Bialystoker Synagogue, New York, NY. The commentators offer various reasons for the mitzvah of Gid HaNasheh -- the prohibition of eating the sciatic nerve -- which is mentioned is this week's Parsha.  Why should the injury of Yaakov Avinu be...

Rabbi Of Young Israel of Scarsdale, Scarsdale, NY. Early on in my own religious development, I gave a lot of thought to the idea of the ideal religious life.  As we see in the vision of Jacob's Ladder at the beginning of Parashat VaYeitzi, is it a life devoted solely...

Rabbi Ian Lichter is the Assistant Rabbi of Great Neck Synagogue in Great Neck, NY. Parshat Toldot contains the significant dialogue between Yaakov and Eisav that captures the spiritual nature of each man. The verse tells us ויזד יעקב נזיד, that Yaakov is cooking...

Rabbi Ira Ebbin serves as the Rabbi of Congregation Ohav Sholom in Merrick, NY.  When Avraham purchases the Meorat Hamachpeilah for a permanent resting place for his wife Sarah, he was buying more than just burial plots for his immediate family. With this purchase,...

Rabbi Mischel is the Rabbi of the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, NJ. “Take now your son… and go to the land of Moriah; bring him up there as an offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you.” (Bereishit 22:2) The great Rav Chaim of...

Many commentators have questioned the lack of an introduction to Hashem’s command of “Lech Lecha” to Avraham.  The Torah doesn’t indicate why Avraham is chosen. A prospective that sheds light is to contrast Avraham’s own sense of mission and that given to him by...

Rabbi Mark Dratch is the Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America, New York, NY “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations” (Gen 6:9).  As is well known, this description of Noah is subject to contradictory interpretations.  Rashi...