The Power of Our Dreams, Both Asleep and Awake
When Do We Know We’ve Completed the Struggle?
In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob receives a new name that becomes the name of the Jewish people: Israel.
The Most Painful Parts of Joseph’s Story Can Teach Us about Ourselves
Soul-Making: Living in the Peaks, the Valleys, and Everything in Between
What Torah Can Teach Us about Overcoming Loneliness
The Greatest Threat to Civilization, as Taught by Torah
When reading Parashat Tol’dot each year, I am amazed how relevant these ancient stories remain today, including the last significant moment in Isaac’s life.
Letting Abraham's Example Guide Us, During Election Season and Beyond
How can we explain circumcision to our friends?
Who Is the Supporting Cast in the Story of Your Life?
I am a rabbi because of a game of catch I played at camp with a rabbi more than three times my age. ... Others people who have changed my direction are like supporting actors in my life. ... In Parashat Vayeishev, Joseph goes out searching for his brothers who are supposed to be in the field tending the flock. ... Along the way he meets a man whose name we never know: The Torah refers to him simply as ha-ish, ”the man” who saw Joseph wandering in the field (Gen. 37:15).
Dream a Little Dream, and Then Interpret It
The entire story of Joseph, which spans three parshiyot in the latter third of the Book of Genesis, centers around dreams: their interpretation and the actions that interpretation then inspires. This week, we read the second portion in that series, Mikeitz.