There is a mystery at the heart of Jewish existence, engraved into the first syllables of our recorded time. The first words of God to Abraham were: “Go out from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house . . . And I will make you a great nation . . .” In the next chapter there is another promise:…
…difference not as a threat but as an enlarging, possibility-creating gift. LECH LECHA: Follow the inner voice, as did those who came before you, continuing their journey by bringing timeless values to a rapidly-changing world. VAYERA: First separate, then connect; it is the carefully calibrated distance that allows us to grow as individuals and create stronger relationships together. CHAYEI SARAH:…
The Parsha in a Nutshell God appears to Avraham. Three strangers pass by. Avraham offers them hospitality. One of them tells Avraham that Sarah will have a child. Sarah, overhearing, laughs in disbelief. God then tells Avraham of His plan to punish the people of Sodom. Avraham enters into an unprecedented discussion with God about justice, demanding He take into…
The Parsha in a Nutshell In this week’s parsha three strangers pass by Avraham’s tent. What Avraham and Sarah do not know is that they are in fact angels. Avraham offers them food and a place to rest. One of them tells Avraham that Sarah will have a baby, and Sarah, who is listening in, laughs because she believes she…
…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…
…Genesis 18, parshat Vayera: “Ki yedativ,” says God. “I have chosen him – lema’ann asher yatzaveh et-banav v’et-bayto acharav – so that he will instruct his children and his household after him.” Abraham was chosen not just because he was righteous like Noah, or a fighter for justice like Moses. He was chosen to be a parent. That is what…
…love to be like sunlight to a flower, not like a tree to the plants that grow beneath. The role of love, human and Divine, is, in the lovely phrase of Irish poet John O’Donohue, “to bless the space between us”. To Bless the Space Between Us – Covenant & Conversation, Vayera Core Questions Why do you think we often…
…Abraham was not a conventional leader. He did not rule a nation. There was as yet no nation for him to lead. But he was the role model of leadership as Judaism understands it. He took responsibility. He acted; he did not wait for others to act. Vayera: Answering the Call Leaders see the destination, begin the journey, and leave…
…but without the widespread diffusion of responsibility they are undeliverable. The Home We Build Together, p. 144 Be a leader. Walk ahead. Take personal responsibility. Take moral responsibility. Take collective responsibility. Judaism is God’s call to responsibility. Answering the Call (Vayera, Lessons in Leadership, Covenant & Conversation) The responsible life is a life that responds. The Hebrew for responsibility, achrayut,…
…to Cain – Learning to live with guilt 26 October 2022 – Noach Rabbi Shai Finkelstein: Hope and disappointment 2 November 2022 – Lech Lecha Dr Tanya White: Avraham and the burning palace – The problem of evil 9 November 2022 – Vayera Gila Sacks: On protests and parenthood 16 November 2022 – Chayei Sara Rabbi Dr Daniel Rose: The…