Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Joseph fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his [Joseph’s] neck” (Genesis 45:14). The final verse of the last portion of Vayigash summarizes the astonishing achievement of the Israelites in Egypt: ‘And Israel dwelt in the …
Parshat Vayechi: Yaakov’s Blessing to Shimon and Levi Rabbi David Basok is a Straus-Amiel emissary who heads Jewish Education in the Jewish community of Tallinn, Estonia, and was previously the Rabbi of Wroclaw, Poland. In every community or group, there often exists some form of disparity or division of sorts between the leadership and the …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18 – 47:27) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Joseph fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his [Joseph’s] neck” (Genesis 45:14). This poignant moment when these two brothers are reunited after a separation of twenty-two years is one of the most tender …
Parshat Vayigash: What Makes a Leader? Rabbi Netanel Aryeh Leib and Rabbanit Avital Kaszowitz are Straus-Amiel shlichim serving as the Chief Rabbinical couple of Kenya and the Jewish communities of East Africa In the previous portions we came across leader figures: Reuven, Yehuda and Yosef. All three display leadership qualities and have characteristics of firstborns. However, …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Miketz – Chanukah (Genesis 41:1-44:17) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “The Lord shall broaden and beautify Yefet, and he (or perhaps ”He”) shall dwell in the Tents of Shem” (Genesis 9:27). The Chanukah struggle was between two powerful ideologies, Judaism vs. Hellenism, Jerusalem vs. Athens, a band of Maccabee traditionalist …
Parshat Miketz: “I myself will guarantee his safety; from my hand you shall require him.” Rabbi Uriya and Shima Dvir are Straus-Amiel shlichim serving as the Jewish Chaplaincy Couple at Nottingham University, England In parshat Miketz we find one of the most difficult and appalling stories in the lives of our Patriarchs and their families. Yosef …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1 – 40:23) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And there passed by Midianite merchants, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver, and they brought Joseph down to Egypt” (Genesis 37:28). Who bears the …
Parshat Vayeshev: The Dream Rabbi Aviel and Michal Javasky are shlichim of Straus-Amiel serving as the Assistant Rabbinic Couple of the Hong Kong Jewish community “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed… I have a dream… I have a dream.” These are the …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4 – 36:43) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4) Years ago, a college classmate provocatively announced that he planned to name his first son “after the most maligned …
Parshat Vayishlach: Fight or Flight Rabbi Aharon and Hodaya Lemberger are shlichim of Straus-Amiel serving as the Jewish Chaplaincy Couple for students on University of Scotland campuses and in the Glasgow Jewish community In the portion of Vayishlach we read of Yaakov’s extraordinary encounter, one which would produce two significant outcomes for the People of Israel: the birth …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayetze (Genesis 28:10-32:3) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear, so that I shall come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord …
Parshat Vayetze: Yaakov Avinu’s Exile is Our Own Exile Rabbi Pinchas Punturello is a Straus-Amiel graduate serving as Director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the Ibn Gavirol School in Madrid, Spain “And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night…” (Bereishit 28:10-11). …
