Parshat Vayetze: Prayer in the Darkness Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program In our Parsha, Yaakov leaves home, running for his life from his brother Esav. He stops on the way to sleep and dreams of the ladder with the angels. The Gemara in Brachot …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayetze (Genesis 28:10-32:3) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am …
The Mandrakes and the Horoscope Rabbi Chaim Navon is a Ra’M (senior rabbinical teacher) at Midreshet Lindenbaum What was the first fertility treatment ever in Jewish history? Well, it was probably the Mandrake plant, or duda’im, to use the Biblical term. The Torah describes the tense atmosphere that prevailed between Leah and Rachel because of …
Shabbat Shalom: Vayetze (Genesis 28:10 – 32:3) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed under his head, and set it up as a monument, and poured oil on the top of it.” [Gen. 28:18] Our Biblical portion, Vayetze, tells …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Vayetze (Genesis 28:10-32:3) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up his voice and he wept” (Gen 29:11) The Bible presents two models for finding one’s life partner: the Isaac-Rebekah arranged marriage model, and the romantic Jacob-Rachel model. In both instances, there must be “love” (ahava): …