- Aaron, Deities, Egypt, Exodus, Freedom, Israelites, Komps Kaos, Miriam, Moses, Oppression, Parsha, Pharaoh, Plagues, Redemption, Slavery, Vaeira
Promises, Promises
I know this is repetitive, but G!d’s promise in Exodus 6:6-7 still connects me to this parsha undeniably. Through years of Seders, the four (five?) promises are engraved in my heart and mind.…
- Aaron, Burning Bush, Egypt, Exodus, Goshen, Israelites, Joseph, Komps Kaos, Miriam, Moses, Names, Nile River, Parsha, Pesach, Pharaoh, Redemption, Shabbat, Shemot, Shul, Stories
Naming a Nation
Just before the new civil year, we begin reading our second book in the Torah: Shemot (names), or Exodus. By this point in the cycle, we get it – the Torah’s big on…
- Ancestors, Bereshit, Blessing, Brothers, Culture, Egypt, Genealogy, Generations, Israel, Jacob, Joseph, Komps Kaos, Oath, Parsha, Shemot, Text Study, Textual Criticism, Torah, Vayechi
The End of the Beginning
The end of Bereshit – an accomplishment that feels markedly set within each year of Torah engagement. We have traipsed through our creation stories, begun to wrestle with our relationship to G!d (and…
- Benjamin, Bereshit, Bible, Brothers, Chanukah, Connection, Human Experience, Jacob, Joseph, Komps Kaos, Midrash, Nation, Parsha, Torah, Vayigash
Coming Back to Family
I’m sad that Chanukah’s over, but really had a wonderful eight days of lights, friends, latkes, Torah, & apocrypha (haha!). This year is made a lot brighter by new friends, more synagogue involvement,…
- Brothers, Chanukah, Chanumas, Dancing, Dreidel, Drought, Egypt, Family, Friends, Identity, Kislev, Komps Kaos, Miketz, Parsha, Synagogues
Dreidels, Drinks, & Dancing!
A freylekhn und a lichtige khanike!! This week’s been a little (increasingly) brighter every night, thanks to the chanukiahs, hugs, smiles, laughter, stories, and love of the Festival of Lights. How are you…
- Bereshit, Brothers, Chanukah, Dreams, Egypt, Generations, Interpretation, Jacob, Jail, Joseph, Komps Kaos, Leaders, Light, Menorah, Parsha, Pharaoh, Potiphar, Slavery, Thanksgiving, Vayeishev
Stars in Your Eyes
Dreamers – Joseph seems to represent this wide-ranging group. Some dreamers are visionary – they provide us with new ideas and take us where we need to go. Joseph does this for Pharaoh…
- 5779, Benjamin, Challah, Covenant, Death, Esau, Estrangement, Israel, Jacob, Komps Kaos, Parsha, Rachel, Rape, Reconciliation, Revenge, Struggle, Thanksgiving, Tribe, Vayishlah, Wrestling
Growth Through Struggle
After leaving Laban’s household, Jacob must face another strained relationship in a scary encounter. His estrangement from Esau was alway sin the background of his journeys, his relationships, and his self-definition. Before Parashat…
- 5779, Barrenness, Bilhah, Fertility, Genealogy, Generations, Jacob, Journey, Komps Kaos, Laban, Leah, Midrash, Parsha, Rachel, Sister Wives, Tribe, Vayetzei, Zilpah
Sister-Wives for Real
Our foremothers did a lot of kvetching & worrying about fertility. Barrenness is a recurring theme in scripture for these important matriarchs, yet we rarely remember their recorded struggle to conceive. The first…
- 5779, Anger, Blessing, Boiling, Esau, Genealogy, Generations, Isaac, Jacob, Jewish Food, Komps Kaos, Parsha, Rebekah, Stew, Toldot, Twins
Boiling Point
There seems to be a lot of food in this parsha. When we talk about the word toldot, mostly people say, “Oh, that’s the generations” – “It’s all about their lineage” – “Those…
- Abraham, Bereshit, Chayyei Sarah, Death, Descendants, Genealogy, Generations, Isaac, Kaddish, Life, Mourning, Parsha, Pittsburgh, Rebekah, Sarah, Synagogues
Lifecycle
Every year we talk about the irony of this week’s parsha: Chayei Sarah, or the life of Sarah. In reality, the only thing we are told about Sarah’s life is the number of…