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February 1, 2025 – 9:33 pm | Comments Off on This Is My G-d67 views

In this Torah portion, the Jews made one of history’s most dramatic and romantic statements. When G-d split the Red Sea, they were overcome with emotion. “This is my G-d,” they exclaimed, “and I will beautify Him.” They didn’t say this is G-d or even this is our G-d; they …

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Articles in Chayei Sara

The Sacred Body Returns To Earth

November 19, 2024 – 8:41 am | Comments Off on The Sacred Body Returns To Earth142 views
funeral

Humans are the only species who treat their dead with dignity and inter them. All other species leave their cadavers to rot on the ground (though some make an effort to cover them. Humans place them in the ground.
The first burial is described in this week’s Torah portion, when Abraham …

I Love You

November 4, 2023 – 8:13 pm | Comments Off on I Love You601 views
I Love You

“Creator of the world. Please, I love you. I’m in love with you. Please don’t disappoint me. I love you.”
These loving, pleading words came from Margalit Megidish as she prayed for her daughter, Ori, whom Hamas took hostage. Ori Megidish is a soldier who served on a base near Gaza …

Chayei Sarah: The White Beard

October 23, 2021 – 11:31 pm | Comments Off on Chayei Sarah: The White Beard1,776 views
beard-innerstream.ca

 
The white beard and old age seem to go together. It is not surprising that they share the same cognate in Hebrew; a beard is zakan and old age is zaken. The Torah tells us that Abraham became zaken. Our sages combined the two meanings by saying that until that …

The Passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

November 12, 2020 – 6:18 pm | Comments Off on The Passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks26,013 views
rabbi-jonathan-sacks

It has been around a year since the world has lost a great leader with the passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Who will be his successor?
There will be millions beginning with me and you.
Rabbi Sacks was a unique and leading voice among rabbis in our generation. His keen intellect and …

Chayei Sarah: Personal Agenda

November 7, 2020 – 9:19 pm | Comments Off on Chayei Sarah: Personal Agenda1,882 views
agenda-innerstream.ca

Did you ever do a favor for another while harboring a personal agenda? If yes, would you ever admit it?
Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to Mesopotamia to seek a bride for Isaac among his relatives. Eliezer asked what to do if perchance the bride refused to return with him to …

Chayei Sarah: Consistency in Education

November 17, 2019 – 4:01 pm | Comments Off on Chayei Sarah: Consistency in Education1,760 views
consistency-innerstream.ca

Consistency is the most important part of education. Children need to hear the same message from their teachers, parents, coaches, and peers. When we expose our children to multiple streams of thoughts and conflicting values so they can make educated choices, we only succeed in confusing them. Children don’t need …

Chayei Sarah: The Good Life

October 27, 2018 – 10:34 pm | Comments Off on Chayei Sarah: The Good Life2,121 views
good-life-innerstream.ca

Our sages derived from the opening of this week’s Torah reading that Sarah lived a good life. The Torah says, “And the years of Sarah’s life were a hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years. The years of her life.” The last sentence is superfluous. Our sages taught that …

Chayei Sarah: Why We Bury

November 4, 2017 – 10:34 pm | Comments Off on Chayei Sarah: Why We Bury6,999 views
bury-innerstream.ca

After the binding of Isaac, Abraham discovered that his wife Sarah had passed, and he hurried from Jerusalem to Hebron to eulogise, mourn and bury her.  This is the first description of a burial in the Torah, which gives us an opportunity to discuss the question of why we bury.
Many …