Vayeishev: The Individual & the Collective
Excessive involvement with personal repentance & growth, without any concern for the broader collective & its needs, can often lead to confusion.
Vayishlaḥ: The Danger of Gathering Sparks
While gathering the holy sparks hidden within other cultures is one of Israel’s hidden missions in exile, we must be careful not to delay our return home.
Vayetzei: The Secret Order of Hebrew Maidservants
The Hebrew maidservants that tended to Israel’s matriarchs may have been part of a secret order meant to guard & educate them in serving HaShem.
Toldot: ‘This’ Versus ‘I’
Rivka wasn’t aware that she was carrying twins. Assuming there to only be one child in her womb, she had trouble understanding her experience.
Ḥayei Sarah: Efron’s Allyship to Avraham
Efron understood Avraham’s potential to elevate humanity & therefore helped him to overcome all objections to his purchase of the Makhpela cave.
Vayeira: Did Avraham Encounter Angels?
When our masters sharply disagree on the meaning of Scripture, could they simultaneously be correct?
Lekh Lekha: They Will Give Me Gifts
On a deep level, the ‘hunger’ that brought Avraham down to Egypt was the desire to liberate & uplift the spark of holiness trapped in the Egyptian kingdom.
Noaḥ: From Families to Nations
Once the families of humanity evolved into nations, two experiments were attempted to limit conflict: the cosmopolitan Tower of Babel that sought to erase differences & a Hebrew nation called Israel.
B’reishit: Obstacles to Learning Torah
The Torah was lowered into our world at a time when prophecy was a lived experience. Attempting to understand it in a post-prophetic era comes with many challenges we need to take into consideration.
Will I Not Be Merciful?
Yonah’s tests were intended to give him a greater love for life – in order to balance his love for truth.
The Next Step of the Redemption Process
Exploring the internal stages of our destiny – from Yaakov to Israel to Yeshurun – challenges us to embrace our prophetic mission in the world.
We Must Debate Noaḥide Issues According to the Path of Torah
Regardless of one’s position regarding Noaḥides accepting Jewish laws & practices upon themselves, one must be careful not to denigrate the positions of scholars who arrive at different conclusions.