Yosef was blessed by his father Yaakov that he become (“vayidgu”) plentiful [1] – like fish (dugim) who the evil eye does not rule over fish [2]. Why does ..
Written by Rabbi Daniel Leeman
“Yisachar chamor gorem (Yisachar is a bony ox)” 49:14. Like a donkey, Yisachar bent his shoulder to bear the yoke of Torah. Seeing as the word “gorem” ..
Written by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
This Torah portion is unlike any other – “closed” – meaning, without a space separating it from the previous paragraph; and in the commentaries – because ..
Written by Rabbi Shimshon Silkin
At the close of the book of Bereishis (Genesis) Yaakov, approaching death, gathers together his family to bless them before he dies. His blessing to Yosef and his sons, ..
Written by Rabbi A Savage
There is a Torah concept that the name of something is an exact expression of its essence. The Hebrew word for a ‘thing’ (d’var) also comes to mean a ‘word’. ..
Written by Moshe Kormornick
The crux of our sedra involves Yaakov’s rather cryptic and deep/prophetic blessings to the tribes before his death. Yosef and his brothers then go and bury Yaakov ..
Written by daniel fine
What does the word tefillah mean? In our sedra (48:11) we are given a major clue. Yaakov tells Yosef that in all these years ‘I have not seen your face’ ..
Written by d fine
Parashas Vayechi This week we read the concluding parasha of the book of Bereishis, Vayechi which translates as ‘lived’. At face value this seems to be an ironic ..
Written by Daniel Sandground
After Ya’akov Avinu dies and the brothers journey to Eretz Yisrael to fulfil Ya’akov’s wish of being buried with his family in ma’aras hamachpela, the Torah ..
Written by D Fine