Messages from December 2020

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Vayigash (Genesis44:18-47:27) The Case of the Imposter Husband

December 25, 2020
Genesis
Vayigash

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Vayigash (Genesis44:18-47:27) imagine the days before photos, fingerprints, and other ways to positively identify someone. If someone came to town claiming he was Person X, how could he prove it? Imagine a man marrying a woman and vanishing a week after the marriage and then showing up many years later. The […]

Weekly Torah Portion: Mikeitz (Genesis 41:1-44:17)Navigating Your Life’s Journey

December 18, 2020
Genesis
Miketz

Pharaoh, the tyrant who would eventually enslave the Jewish people, had two dreams. The first involved seven robust cows emerging from the Nile and pasturing in the marshland. Then, seven emaciated cows emerged from the Nile and devoured them. The second dream involved seven healthy ears of grain growing on one stalk and seven thin, […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Vayeshaiv (Genesis 37-40)Shabbos Chanukah: 5781-2020 Miracles. Seriously?

December 11, 2020
Genesis
Vayeshev

The Talmud tells the story of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa’s daughter being sad one Friday after she had mistakenly put vinegar rather than oil into the Sabbath lamp. Rabbi Chanina responded, “Don’t worry, the One who told the oil to light, will tell the vinegar to light as well.” The lights remained burning the entire […]

Weekly Torah Portion: Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43)Inspiration from the Warsaw Ghetto

December 4, 2020
Genesis
Vayishlach

The following is based on an address given in the Warsaw Ghetto on November 25, 1939. It discusses the Biblical story of Jacob’s wrestling an angel. This story obviously has much allegory as to the nature of the battle. In classical Jewish wisdom, the angel represents Jacob’s nemesis, his brother Eisav (Esau). Eisav is not only a physical person, […]