Jacob
Hear, O Israel, our father, we dedicate our lives to revealing the One in all things.
After running away from his brother Esau, Jacob marries the sisters Rachel and Leah (and their maidservants) and the twelve tribes of Israel are born. Wrestling with an angel leaves Jacob limping and with a new name – Israel. When famine strikes the land of Canaan, Jacob and the family Israel descends to Egypt, where they reunite with Joseph. Jacob lives in Egypt for seventeen years. Before his passing, Jacob calls in all the tribes, our grandparents, and blesses them to continue the legacy and purpose begun with Abraham – to turn this fragmented universe into a unified home for the Divine. In a royal funeral, Jacob is accompanied back up to Israel where he is buried in Hebron with his wife and ancestors.
Toldot: Our Response to Tragedy
The Jewish response to a gruesome attack, is to channel all our outrage and fury into a spiritual eruption of building an even stronger Jerusalem, both physically and spiritually.
Read MoreVayishlach: Hypocrisy
Instead of seeing hypocrisy in our inconsistencies, we should be seeing in them our struggle to discover our true selves—a struggle that inevitably creates a dichotomy between what you believe and what you do.
Read MoreVayishlach: Giving In Difficult Times
The words of the Zohar speak for themselves. They tell us in no uncertain terms that we must stand against any voice and challenge (including economic conditions) that argues against supporting (or weakening our support of) good causes.
Read MoreVayeitzei: Responding To Mumbai
Rabbi Simon Jacobson discusses the tragic 2008 killing of the Holtzbergs, Chabad shluchim, in Mumbai, India.
Read MoreVayeitzei: Marriage: Destiny or Chance?
Is marriage predestined or dependent on your efforts? There are many opinions but all agree that though G-d’s predestined it we have the power to change it.
Read MoreThe Dust of History
The cosmic struggle to reconcile spirit and matter are captured in the story of Jacob and Esau and the battle between these two opposing forces.
Read MoreVayeitzei: Before the Battle
Jacob’s descent to Charan and subsequent struggles in Laban’s household represent our own difficulties in this world, and indicate the necessity of bringing light to the darkest places.
Read MoreToldot: The Power of Human Exertion
Who fully grasps a concept, one who immediately comprehends it, or one who must struggle to understand it? Part five of Samech Vov discusses this question, and examines the value of human exertion.
Read More