The Twin Redemptions of Speech and Jerusalem
In our parsha we read about the horrible oppression of the Jewish people in Egypt. The Torah describes that the…
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The Equanimity of Jerusalem
In our parsha, Yaakov blesses his son Yehuda through a comparison to a lion: “A cub [and] a grown lion…
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The Kings of Jerusalem
This week’s parsha features the titanic struggle between the two kings of the Jewish people – Yosef and Yehuda. The…
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Yosef and the Dreams of Zion
Our parsha revolves around dreams. It opens with a young Yosef dreaming about things that were beyond the family’s immediate…
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Jerusalem and Shechem
The Torah has an interesting description of Yaakov’s initial encounter with the city of Shechem: “And Yaakov came complete (shalem)…
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The Money-Ladder of Jerusalem
Our parsha opens with the dramatic depiction of Yaakov’s dream. He sleeps on Mount Moriah and sees a ladder that…
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Jerusalem: The Dew of the World
Torah sources highlight the uniqueness of dew as a sui-generis form of blessing. There are two primary qualities of dew’s…
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The Highs And Lows of Jerusalem
This week’s parsha and the conclusion of last week’s parsha are a study in contrasts. Parshat VaYeira concludes with the…
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The Intergenerational Jerusalem
After many decades of waiting, our parsha tells the story of Yitzhak’s birth. This miracle was met with great joy…
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Jerusalem: The Pathway to Perfection
In a memorable passage, Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pekuda writes in his Chovot HaLevavot that there is an inverse relationship between…
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