…which you can still daven in, in the Old City called the Ramban’s Shul. And when my great-grandfather of blessed memory was asked in 1871 by the old Yishuv in Jerusalem to become the historian of Jerusalem, and he wrote this four volume work called Toldot Chachmei Yerushalayim, The History of the Sages of Jerusalem, it begins with the Ramban…
…you are in the company of Jacob-who-became-Israel, the father-in-faith of us all. [1] Bereishit Rabbah 63:6. [2] Bereishit Rabbah 63:10. [3] Midrash Lekach Tov, Bereishit 47:18. [4] Bereishit Rabbah 65:17. [5] Bereishit Rabbah 63:13. [6] Bereishit Rabbah 65:8. [7] See Rashi to Gen. 25:27. [8] Baba Batra 16b. [9] Elsewhere in past ‘C&C’s on Toldot, I have pointed out that…
…To survive tragedy and trauma, first build the future. Only then, remember the past. TOLDOT: You are as great as your ideals. If you truly believe in something beyond yourself, you will achieve beyond yourself. VAYETSE: The deepest crises of your life can turn out to be the moments when you encounter the deepest truths and acquire your greatest strengths….
In a Nutshell Parshat Vayishlach tells the story of the meeting between Yaakov and Eisav after twenty-two years of separation. Hearing that his brother is coming to meet him with a small army of four hundred men, Yaakov is “greatly afraid and distressed.” He creates a three–stage strategy: first he divides his camp into two, then he sends gifts to…
…according to the Sages, this did not happen. Had Jacob been willing to speak to Reuben he would have discovered the truth, but Jacob grew up in a family that lacked open, candid communication (as we saw a few weeks ago, during our discussion of parshat Toldot). Thus, for many years Reuben was suspected by his father of a sin…
…Babylonian exile) the Jews. Bereishit Noach Lech Lecha Vayera Chayei Sarah Toldot Vayetse Vayishlach Vayeshev Mikketz Vayigash Vayechi Shemot (Exodus) The book of Exodus – Shemot – is the West’s meta-narrative of hope. It tells an astonishing story of how a group of slaves were liberated from the mightiest empire of the ancient world. Theologically, its message is even more…
…going on in this Midrash? Well, it’s a very elaborate story. You remember the story that v’eyleh toldot Yitzchak ben Avraham, Avraham holid et Yitzchak – there’s a Midrashic tradition that Isaac was identical to Abraham. Everytime somebody looked at Isaac, they immediately knew that Abraham was his father for all sorts of reasons I have no intention of going…
…who will continue it. That is enough to endow a life with immortality. Chayei Sarah: Beginning the Journey Parents and leaders must establish a culture in which honest, open, respectful communication takes place, one that involves not just speaking but also listening. Toldot: Communication Matters The ability to survive and to recover is part of what it takes to be…
…art of legacy building 23 November 2022 – Toldot Rabbi Johnny Solomon: Unconditional love 30 November 2022 – Vayetze Rebbetzin Lauren Levin: Jacob’s ladder – A blueprint for humanity 7 December 2022 – Vayishlach Rav Alex Israel: Shimon and Levi – Saviours or savages? 14 December 2022 – Vayeshev Dr Lindsay Simmonds: A holy people – Deception, violence and salvation…
…Back to The Sacks Scholars More from Rabbi Dr. Samuel Lebens Philosophical Reflections on the Life and Work of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Sam Lebens’ published “One God, One Truth, Many Languages: Rabbi Sacks’ Pluralism Reexamined” (Spring 2022) and discussed the essay on the Tradition Podcast. A Eulogy for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Covenant & Conversation for Toldot featuring Rabbi Dr. Sam Lebens…