January 20, 2016 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this week’s parasha, after the Bnei Yisrael cross the Reed Sea in safety while Paro’s army drowns, they sing praises to Hashem; in response to their complaints about a lack of food and water, Hashem gives them manna; and they are then attacked by Amalek. There are actually two Songs of the Sea. The […]

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January 13, 2016 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

This week’s parasha tells the story of the last three plagues, the preparations that the Bnei Yisrael need to make in order to leave Mitzrayim, and the actual exodus itself. There is an unusual and unexpected verse right in the middle of the section when God relates to Moshe what will happen during the plague […]

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January 6, 2016 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, through Moshe and Aharon, Hashem brings plagues on the Mitzrim (Egyptians), and Paro repeatedly refuses to allow the Bnei Yisrael to leave. When Moshe goes to speak with Bnei Yisrael about redemption and the wonders that God will use to bring them into the Land of Israel, the Torah tells us [6:9]: “And they […]

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December 29, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Bnei Yisrael become slaves to Paro; Paro’s daughter saves Moshe from the Nile and, after killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moshe flees to Midian where he marries and has children; Hashem instructs Moshe to liberate the people; Moshe returns to Egypt, and Moshe and Aharon approach Paro, who refuses their request for liberation. […]

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December 23, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yaakov blesses his sons on his deathbed and asks them to bury him in Canaan. Many of us know the story of the blind patriarch who, ostensibly due to his lack of sight, gives the younger son the blessing of the firstborn and vice versa. Of course, this scenario describes Yitzchak’s blessings of […]

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December 16, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yosef reveals his identity to his brothers, prompting the entire family to move to Egypt, where Yosef reunites with his father, Yaakov. Yaakov’s story comes full circle in chapter 46, verses 2-4, a passage with many intriguing parallels to a text that we read five weeks ago, about Yaakov starting out on […]

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December 9, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yosef interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and is appointed to implement Egypt’s anti-famine plan, which brings him into contact with his brothers again, as they come to Egypt to buy food. Within three verses, we encounter two different cases of hapax legomenon, a word which occurs only once within a written context – in this case, […]

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December 3, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yosef’s dreams anger his brothers and they sell him into slavery in Egypt, where he eventually ends up in prison, still interpreting others’ dreams. The circumstances in which the brothers and Yosef were alone, allowing them to sell him into slavery, are outlined in chapter 37, verses 11-17, a passage which raises a […]

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November 24, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yaakov confronts Eisav, wrestles with a “man” who blesses him by changing his name to Yisrael, loses his wife Rachel in childbirth, and experiences the trauma of the incident with his daughter Deena. Yaakov takes several steps as he prepares to meet Eisav for the first time since the “birthright and blessing […]

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November 19, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yaakov flees to his uncle Lavan’s household and lives there for several years, marrying Lavan’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, and establishing a large family. The parasha begins and ends with malachim. Yaakov, on his way to his Uncle Lavan’s house, has a dream of malachim ascending and descending a ladder. He arrives […]

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