Weekly Torah Reading, Toledot, November 30, 2019
Genesis 25:19-28:9 What a Difference an Aleph Makes! In this week’s Torah reading, Isaac is now dwelling in Beer Sheba, and the Philistine king, Abimelech, comes with his aides to meet him. Isaac and Abimelech have had rather …
Weekly Torah Reading, Ḥayyei Sarah, November 23, 2019
Weekly Torah Reading, Ḥayyei Sarah, November 23, 2019 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. …
Weekly Torah Reading Vayyera’ November 16, 2019
Weekly Torah Reading Vayyera’ Nov. 16, 2019 (Genesis chapters 18-22) “Now I know…” The Torah’s account of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac has raised questions among readers since ancient times. Among other things, commentators wondered why …
Weekly Torah Reading, Lekh-Lekha, November 9, 2019
Weeklyh Portion: Lekh-Lekha (Genesis chaps. 12-17) Abraham’s Request This week’s reading contains one particularly puzzling episode. After Abraham has arrived in Canaan, a famine strikes the land, and he and his wife Sarah are forced to travel down …
Weekly Torah Reading, Noah, November 2, 2019
The Bad Side of Tower-Building This week’s Torah reading ends with a somewhat mysterious incident, the building of the Tower of Babel. The Torah recounts that a ragtag band of people (apparently all of humanity at the time) traveled …
Weekly Torah Reading, Bereshit, October 26, 2019
Don’t Touch That Tree! Who was more responsible for the Fall of Man, Adam or Eve? On the face of things, it was mostly Eve’s fault. After all, the snake talked her into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. …
Weekly Torah Reading, Sukkot, October 14 and 19, 2019
The Shabbat of “Booths” Sukkot is a somewhat puzzling festival. To start with, it’s not clear what the role of the sukkah (“harvest booth”) was in the biblical celebration. True, the Torah does say (Lev 23:43) that the Israelites …
Weekly Torah Reading, Haazinu, October 12, 2019
Biblical Poetry This week’s reading consists of Moses’ farewell song, known in Hebrew by its first word Ha’azinu (“Give ear!”). In it, Moses recounts Israel’s prior history, starting back in “days of yore,” when things were fine, but then …