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September 19, 2023 – 8:31 pm | 59 views

Get your head in the game is a common refrain among athletes. Distraction is the last thing athletes can afford. It interferes with their rhythm, disturbs their focus, and wreaks havoc on their stamina. Coaches are often overheard telling players to get their heads in the game.
Judaism is no different. …

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Articles in Vayishlach

G-d Is In Our Corner

December 3, 2022 – 9:41 pm | 431 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, …

Vayishlach: Have you ever Been Kissed?

November 28, 2020 – 9:40 pm | 1,052 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 | 1,219 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 | 1,755 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 | 2,101 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 | 2,674 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 …

Vayishlach: Living A Full Life

November 21, 2015 – 11:03 pm | 3,387 views
life - innerstream.ca

Life and Death
When are you most alive, after birth or after death?
That is a crowd stopping question. What in the world does it mean?
Well, think about it. When you were born, G-d breathed a soul, a part of Himself, a slice of heaven, into your body. Your soul is your …

Vayishlach: Why We Give

November 29, 2014 – 8:35 pm | 2,399 views
why we give - innerstream.ca

Early Morning Mitzvah
I want to share a story that made me reflect on why we give to people in need.
It was 6:15 AM and I was at a Starbucks on the New York Throughway seeking a dose of Ameicana to keep me awake. I was tired and bleary eyed, but …