The Abraham story begins with G-d’s command to leave “his land, his birthplace and his family” (Breisheet 12:1) to go to some unknown land that G-d…
Vayera: Avraham's Torah
Rabbinic tradition maintains that the Torah existed even before the creation of the world, in essence serving as the architectural blueprint of…
Vayera: Time to Sleep
“And Avraham awoke in the morning” (Breisheet 22:3). It is from this verse that the Sages (Pesachim 4a) derive the principle zerezim…
VaYera: The Man of Prayer
Our tradition teaches that the founder of the Jewish people, Avraham, is the one who introduced the notion of daily prayer to the world. “And Avraham…
VaYera: Family Ties
“Take your son, your only son, the one you love, v'lech lecha, and go for yourself to the land of Moriah” (Breisheet 22:2). So begins…
VaYera: Moving Out of Town
One of the fundamental issues of debate amongst observant Jews regards the degree of openness with which one meets the surrounding culture. Should we…
VaYerah: Living in Sedom
“And the people of Sedom were evil and sinners towards G-d beyond all measure” (Breisheet 13:13). Despite their depravity, Avraham Avinu…
Vayera: 20/20 Vision
It is a truism that two people can look at the same thing, yet see something quite different. One person might see a beautiful piece of art, whereas…
Vayera: No Secrets
“And G-d said: Am I going to hide from Abraham that which I will do?” The city of Sedom was a thriving metropolis and the home of Lot, Abraham’s…
VaYera: Late Arrival
Our Sages assert that the Torah pre-dates the creation of the world, in essence serving as the architectural blueprint of creation. This is a…
VaYera: Moderating Chesed
Judaism eschews extremism. This obligation to be moderate is codified into law by no less an authority than the Rambam; it is, as he points out, "the…