Torah Commentary

Torah Commentary

Why Do We Exist?

We see glimpses of Rebecca's inner dialogue at the beginning and end of this week's Torah portion. In the opening verses of Parashah Tol'dot, Rebecca becomes pregnant with twins.

The Wellspring of Heaven and Earth

Abraham is promised that through him we will become a great and prosperous nation, as vast as the stars that light up the heavens in the dark of night and as numerous as the sands as far as the eye could see. But the covenant could only continue through marriage and offspring. So, as we read last week in Hayyei Sarah, Abraham sends his servant to search for a wife for Isaac among the tribe.

Teaching Children According to Their Own Way

My wife and I have three children, two boys and a girl. ... Each one argues that a certain rule may apply to the other two siblings, but it does not apply to him/her because he/she is our favorite. ... In this week’s Torah portion, Tol’dot, Isaac and Rebekah, the parents of twin boys Jacob and Esau  show favoritism to one child over the other. From the outset we are told that these two children are very different beings.