Torah Commentary

Torah Commentary

an image of a man blacked out standing in between a sandy desert and a grassy, green field

How Change Becomes Possible

In this week's portion, Vayechi, there is still a current of mistrust among Joseph and his brothers. The brothers appear before Joseph and beg for their lives, offering to become Joseph's slaves.
an image of a Rabbi reading from the Torah to a group of kids

Serach Bat Asher Teaches us a Lesson

When I was a student in the HUC-JIR School of Education, I went on a b'nei mitzvah weekend family retreat. On Shabbat morning, the Rabbi at Kehilat Israel in Pacific Palisades, California shared a story with the families. The story was a midrash, a story about the Torah portion Vayechi and a woman named Serach Bat Asher.

Between Light and Darkness

We are all Jacob, we are all Joseph, trying to live in the truth and splendor of who we are. Yearning to forgive, to be forgiven. To come to our final moments with the sense of having lived with purpose.
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Using Our “God-Sparks” to Reconcile Our Relationships

The book of B’reishit is, in essence, one big, messy story about family. While the relationships discussed in this book are imperfect, they matter because people matter. Imperfect as these families are, they’re still sacred because God exists as the connection between them.

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