Vayeira
True Reality appears when all else disappears.
Sometimes angels may appear human, just as humans, at times, may appear angelic. After a delectable feast, the three angels tell Sarah that, in one year’s time, she will give birth to a child. Sarah, 90 years of age, laughs. Mazal tov! It’s a boy and his name is Isaac. Try as he might, Abraham cannot find one redeeming factor in the city of Sodom. The Creator thus deletes Sodom from creation. Abraham sends Ishmael east, out of his father’s house. The binding of Isaac changes the perception of humanities relationship with G-d forever. Is it greater to live for G-d or die for G-d?
How to Treat Infidels
Faith in G-d extends to loving other people, regardless of their background and similarity to you. Faith is about extending love and compassion.
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Vaeirah: Think Different
We must see current events as a unique opportunity to wake up: This is our time to affect real change, it is time to start thinking and acting differently.
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Vayeira: How to Treat Infidels
The evolution of religion and all its manifestations and distortions can be traced back to Abraham’s passionate faith and what he taught his children, and what they did or did not do with these teachings.
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Genuine Hypocrisy
When Abraham looked at his guests he did not see pagans, idolaters & fetishists; he saw creatures of G-d who had been created in the divine image…
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Vayeira: Where is Moshiach? In Sodom
The theme, in this week’s Torah portion, the destruction of the wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, a deceptively complex story…
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The Oven Stokers of Mezerich
A story of the ‘Oven Stoker’s of Mezeritch’ and how each of them described their degree of self-sacrifice attained in their service of the Almighty.
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Flying Branches
Man was empowered to live a G-dly life, to think G-dly thoughts, speak G-dly words and do G-dly deeds through the mitzvot of the Torah established by G-d.
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Yes and No
Gain insight into why G-d created the world and discover the spiritual significance behind the unique mitzvah of circumcision.
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The Oven Stokers of Mezerich
An overheard conversation of the Oven Stokers of Mezerich. Chassidic story about self-sacrifice and Divine service.
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Three Lovers of Israel
Three great Chassidic leaders were famous for their ahavat yisrael (“love of a fellow Jew”): Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, and Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov.
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Although I am not Jewish, I always enjoy Simon Jacobson’s material. I am terribly dismayed to see that so many people can not look past the “religion” to see the deep, complex universal teachings that are practically relevant to every human life. I have learnt so much from this amazing modern scholar!
-Ismiallh