Sandwiched between the deaths of our first matriarch and our first patriarch, we witness the choreography of a dramatic, divinely directed love story between Isaac and Rebecca. How does this powerful connection come to be? What internal qualities or …
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d'Var Torah
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11/13/15
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The title of this week’s parashah , Shemot, means “names,” and refers to the names of Jacob’s sons, who entered Egypt as free men. However, in the biblical account of the …
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d'Var Torah
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1/7/24
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Judaism is full of blessings. Traditionally, Jews say blessings before we eat (a different blessing for each category of food). We say blessings after we eat. There is a special blessing to say when one smells a flower. There is a …
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d'Var Torah
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6/18/15
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“2715 Hits Eclipsed by One Miss” read the headline in the sports section eulogizing baseball great Bill Buckner this past spring. The mishap in Game 6 of the ’86 World …
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d'Var Torah
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10/2/19
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As we approach the final chapters of the Book of Exodus, we read of the concluding stages of the construction of theMishkan, the Sanctuary which our people carried with them through their desert wanderings.
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d'Var Torah
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2/27/14
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So many of us lead very busy lives. Between work, volunteering, self-care, care of family members, nurturing friendships, and all the other things that pull us in a million directions, it can be …
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d'Var Torah
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5/3/18
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Parashat Va-yetzei Hanukkah/Thanksgiving (Genesis 28:10 – 32:3)
Only a few weeks ago the Torah described how Isaac will be born to a man who would be 100 years old and a woman who would be 90. There can be no question as to the …
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d'Var Torah
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11/7/13
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When the winter reaches its coldest and darkest days, we tap into the power of light and fire. The Ramchal, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (18th century) taught that each year when we return to …
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d'Var Torah
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12/8/17
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Every Saturday night, my husband, my toddler, and I gather around our dining room table for havdallah . We sing the standard prayers to mark the end of Shabbat: verses of psalms that assure us …
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d'Var Torah
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6/22/18
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In this week’s Torah portion, Rebecca innovates a familiar mode of communication.
Pregnant with twins who will come to personify sibling rivalry, Rebecca moans as they struggle in her …
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d'Var Torah
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11/7/21
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