Weekly Torah Reading: Vayyeshev, December 24, 2016
The Assembly of Ladies A strange story circulated about one part of this week’s parashah, the story of Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s wife. According to the Torah, the wife of Potiphar (otherwise nameless), is obsessed with Joseph, the handsome …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyishlaḥ, December 17, 2016
Dinah’s Story The story of Dinah (Genesis chapter 34) starts badly enough: Jacob’s only daughter is seized and raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor. (Hamor is the ruler of a city that, perhaps not coincidentally, bears the same …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyetze, December 10, 2016
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 to …
Weekly Torah Reading Toledot December 3, 2016
That Damned Oath! The Torah was originally transmitted without the little dots and dashes that now accompany the printed text. Those dots and dashes were created by the Masoretes, a group of medieval text scholars renowned for their attention …
Weekly Torah Reading Vayyera’ November 19, 2016
“Now I know” and Divine Omniscience When his wife Sarah at last gave birth to a son, Abraham was overjoyed. He cherished the boy above all things and marked the day of Isaac’s weaning with a special celebration. No …
Weekly Torah Reading, Lekh-Lekha, November 12, 2016
The Amazing Melchizedek When Abraham (technically, still “Abram”) learned that his nephew Lot had been taken prisoner by an army invading Canaan, he did not hesitate to act. “He led forth his trained men, 318 of them, born in …
Weekly Torah Reading Noaḥ November 5, 2016
Minor Mysteries After the great flood had subsided, Noah planted a vineyard. In due time it bore fruit, and Noah made some wine from it. Perhaps because he had not consumed any alcohol for some time, he became inebriated …
Weekly Torah Reading, Bereshit, October 29, 2016
Don’t Touch That Tree! Who was responsible for the Fall of Man, Adam or Eve? I’m sure some learned readers may object to this very formulation. The whole idea that what happened in the Garden of Eden was some …