Isaac
When a person never waivers from the purity of the land, the purity of the land never waivers from the person.
The first person to be born Jewish, Isaac was purity personified, never leaving the land of Israel, then called Canaan. Isaac resembled his father Abraham. The binding of Isaac occurred when he was 37. At 40, Isaac married Rebecca. 20 years later they had twins, Jacob and Esau. In his later years, Isaac’s eyesight would weaken, one of the reasons given is so that Isaac would not see Esau’s destructive ways. Living in Hebron at the age of 180 Isaac passed away and was laid to rest in the Double Cave, along with his parents and wife.
Ishmael and Isaac: A Timeless Family Feud
In this week’s Torah Portion, Vayeira, we discuss the two sons of Abraham – Ishmael and Isaac and their historic sibling rivalry; a fundamental dispute that continues to this very day.
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Messenger or Matchmaker
Ultimate commitment is when an independent thinker chooses to dedicate himself to a cause greater than himself, to be a messenger and extension of it.
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The Plot Thickens – Jacob & Esau: Two Nations
We now have before us Abraham, father of all nations, Ishmael father of the Arab/Muslim world, Esau, father of the Roman/Christian/Western world and Jacob, father of the Jewish world.
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Redigging the Wells of Love
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the forefathers from whom we learn Jewish values. In Abraham we see a fountainhead of Jewish generosity and social commitment.
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The Duplicity of the Jew
The Jew dresses in Esau’s clothes, but he refuses to allow the clothes to make the man.
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The Determined Chooser
“Choice vs. Determinism.” How much control do we really have over our actions?
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Father and Son
Despite the fact that they embodied two very different approaches to life, Isaac sensed that everything he is and has derives from Abraham, while Abraham saw in Isaac the fulfillment and realization of his deepest self.
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A Legacy of Laughter
Toledot is no mere word: it is a word that embraces the cosmos, spans the whole of history, and describes our purpose in life.
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The Married Life
The ultimate manifestation of divine truth requires a union of the spiritual and the physical.
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