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At the end of the Book of Genesis, which we concluded last week, the Israelites had been invited to relocate from Canaan to Egypt to wait out the 7 year famine. After the 7 years, they remained in Egypt and, as we begin the Book of Exodus this week, our story picks up 400 years […]

A few years before either of my parents passed, my brother and I sat down with them to discuss their wishes. My father said he wanted to be cremated, and that when both he and my mother had passed, we should mix their ashes together. My mother was horrified: ‘What, you want me to have […]

You probably remember the story behind this week’s Torah portion. Joseph—the youngest brother, the dreamer—was betrayed by his brothers years ago. They were so jealous they even thought about killing him, but instead they sold him to a group of traveling merchants on their way to Egypt, and when they returned home, they told their […]

D’var Torah – Miketz & Chanukah: When the Oppressed Gain Power Parshat Miketz opens with a miracle that doesn’t feel like one at first. Joseph wakes up in prison and, by the end of the day, he is second only to Pharaoh. From the pit to the palace in a single moment. We know this […]

You know, every family thinks their mishigas is unique… until they open Parshat Vayeishev. Then suddenly you realize, “Oh — compared to Jacob’s family, we’re basically the Waltons.” In this week’s Torah portion, Joseph brings bad reports about his brothers to their father. You see, Joseph was that kid. The tattler. The golden child. The […]