Weekly Torah Reading, Vayḥi, January 2, 2021
Genesis 47:28-50:26 Jacob’s Staff At the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons together in order to give each of them his fatherly blessing. But in fact, his three oldest sons didn’t end up being blessed at all; …
Weekly Torah Reading, Va-yiggash, December 26, 2020
Genesis 44:18-47:27 After They’ve Seen Paree After Joseph revealed his true identity to him brothers, he sent them back to Canaan to tell their father Jacob the good news: his long-lost son Joseph was still alive and was, in …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyiggash, December 19, 2020
Genesis 41:1-44:17 The Wagons Tell the Tale When Jacob’s sons returned to Canaan to tell their father the good news—that his long-lost son Joseph was still alive—at first he didn’t believe them. Why should he? If what they were …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyeshev, December 12, 2020
Genesis 37:1-40:23 His Father’s Face In this week’s reading, it is said that Jacob “loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age” (Gen 37:3). This sounds like a mistake: if …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyishlaḥ, December 5, 2020
Genesis 32:4-36:43 Ten Percent On the eve of his return to the land of Canaan, Jacob learned that his brother Esau, who had previously vowed to kill him, was now on his way to meet him—accompanied by 400 men! Naturally, …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyetze, November 28, 2020
28:10-32:3 Interpreting a Dream Jacob left Beer-sheba bound for Haran. Stopping for the night at a certain place, he fell asleep and had a strange dream. “And behold, a ladder was set in the ground, and its top reached …
Weekly Torah Reading, Toledot, November 21, 2020
Genesis 25:19-28:9 A Common Message The three encounters between Jacob and Esau in this week’s reading seem to contain a common message. The first time the twins “meet” is in their mother’s womb. They pressed hard against each other, …
Weekly Torah Reading, Ḥayyei Sarah, November 14, 2020
Genesis 23:1-28:9 Like Uncle, Like Nephew (Sort of) In this week’s portion, Abraham sends his (unnamed) servant to the city of Nahor to find a bride for his son Isaac. When the servant arrives, we are introduced to two …