Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Esau is surely one of the most tragic figures of the Bible.  He is a simple man, whose robust nature leads him to exult in his own health, strength and energy.  Esau loves to hunt. He revels in the outdoors and in bursting limits. Esau is a man of impulse.  Like Rambo or John Wayne, Esau thrives on his tremendous power, his physical courage and his own inner drives.       Read more...

One of the central paradoxes of Jewish history is that the Jewish People were landless through most of our history. Yet, we were always profoundly aware of our link to the Land of Israel, perhaps because we did not live in a place we could call our own. The intense love between the Jews and their homeland permeated our prayers, our Torah and our hearts. Today's Torah portion speaks directly to the centrality of the Land of Israel in Jewish thought and deed.  God instructs the Jewish People, "You must provide for the ge'ulah (redemption) of the land."   Read more...

Most Jews would associate 'hametz' (leaven) with the festival of Pesach.  After all, it is before that holiday that we remove all 'hametz' from our homes, burn some 'hametz,'  nullify it with a vow on the morning before the first Seder and appoint a Rabbi to be our agent to sell any remaining 'hametz' to a non-Jew.   Read more...

Without attempting to justify the elaborate Jewish dietary laws, the Torah provides a lengthy list of which foods are kosher and which are not. Animals with cloven hooves and which chew their cuds are kosher.  Fish with fins and scales are kosher.  Birds which eat grain and vegetables, and which can fly, are kosher.  Insects, shellfish and reptiles are not.     Read more...

In the movie, "Zelig," Woody Allen portrays an individual who repeatedly rises to the pinnacle of success through his uncanny ability to become identical to those in power.  Time after time, Zelig is able to transform himself into the image of people around him, and those people reward his ability by offering Zelig influence, prominence and prestige.   Read more...