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March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United41 views

The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …

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Articles in Vayishlach

Antisemitism Rears Its Ugly Head

November 25, 2023 – 10:02 pm | Comments Off on Antisemitism Rears Its Ugly Head261 views
antisemitism

Antisemitism has reared its ugly head again. It is no surprise. Antisemitism never really went away. Our sages taught that antisemitism is an unchanging, intractable scourge. Esau will always hate Jacob.[1] The only question is how close to the surface it lies.
The story of Esau and Jacob appears in the …

G-d Is In Our Corner

December 3, 2022 – 9:41 pm | Comments Off on G-d Is In Our Corner716 views
in-our-corner

Sometimes it is hard to feel that G-d is in our corner. It feels as if Murphy’s Law is G-d’s Law. Everything that could go wrong, does, and G-d does nothing to save the day. The baby is ill, the roof is leaking, the coffee maker is on the blink, …

Geed Hanasheh—Sciatic Nerve

November 13, 2021 – 10:30 pm | Comments Off on Geed Hanasheh—Sciatic Nerve4,928 views
geed-hanasheh-innerstream.ca

Geed hanasheh is the sciatic nerve, a sinew in the hip that Jews are forbidden to eat. Many know that kosher meat must be slaughtered and salted. Not many know about neekur, the intricate process that entails the removal of the animal’s forbidden parts, including the geed hanasheh. In fact, …

Vayishlach: Have you ever Been Kissed?

November 28, 2020 – 9:40 pm | Comments Off on Vayishlach: Have you ever Been Kissed?1,207 views
kissed-innerstream.ca

Let me say this right up front: Have you ever been kissed, is not a question you expect to hear from a rabbi in a devar Torah. But I do mean the question sincerely, were you ever kissed? I’m not asking if you were ever kissed by your parents, grandparents, …

Vayishlach: Minority Syndrome

December 7, 2019 – 8:26 pm | Comments Off on Vayishlach: Minority Syndrome1,359 views
minority-innerstream.ca

When Jacob returned to Israel after twenty-two years of being a minority in the city of Haran, where his uncle Laban lived, he said “I sojourned with Laban . . . and I acquired oxen and donkeys, flocks, manservants, and maidservants.[1]
Why did he announce that he had sojourned with Laban, …

Vayishlach: O Brother

November 17, 2018 – 9:12 pm | Comments Off on Vayishlach: O Brother1,909 views
brother-innerstream.ca

It had been thirty-four years since Jacob escaped his brother Esau’s wrath. During this time Jacob had spent fourteen years studying Torah and twenty years building his family. He had descended to the immoral pit of his uncle Laban’s home, and emerged unaffected and even stronger for the ordeal. Esau, …

Vayishlach: Family Feud

November 26, 2017 – 1:02 am | Comments Off on Vayishlach: Family Feud2,260 views
familyfeud-innerstream.ca

The worst kind of feud is a family feud. When we feel betrayed by those we love, the pain runs deep, and it is difficult to forgive. Some people won’t attend their grand nephew’s wedding because of a family feud from decades back. Deep pain tends to be lasting and …

Vayishlach: Believe In Your Child

December 10, 2016 – 7:44 pm | Comments Off on Vayishlach: Believe In Your Child2,833 views
getting it right - innerstream

Obey Your Parents
This week’s Torah portion introduces us to Esau’s son Eliphaz although our sages already mentioned him in last week’s portion.
When Jacob left his parents’ home to flee his brother’s rage, he stocked up on provisions. His wealthy parents made certain that he had plenty of gold and silver …