Spreading the light
“He took him outside and said: Look toward the heavens and count the stars…And He said to him – so will your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5) Abraham’s descendants are compared to the stars of the heavens whose light is able to bring illumination to the darkness of night. God appointed Israel to be a light […]
Transforming negativity
“I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse… (Genesis 12:3). The Hebrew terms here break symmetry in an interesting way. The root for ‘bless’ (BRCH) is used twice in the verse. But there are two different Hebrew roots for cursing (KLL and ARR). God says: Those who curse […]
Hacking the Haftorah: BEREISHIS
This series explores the connection between the weekly Torah portion (Parashat HaShavuah) and its Haftorah. The Five Books of Moses are read publicly in synagogues each Shabbat morning and completed over the course of a year. There is an ancient custom to follow this with a portion from the writings of the Prophets. The most […]