Parshas Toldos: Cravings or Ravings?
<p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Yaakov encounters Esav in a moment of vulnerability. Esav returns home from a ‘day at the races’ exhausted. He begs his brother Yaakov to partake from the red porridge he is in the midst of preparing, as he is famished. Yaakov […]
To See with Our Eyes Closed
Rabbi Zvi Teichman And it came to pass, when Yitzchok had become old, and his eyes dimmed from seeing… His blindness here, the Midrash teaches, has a twofold meaning. Figuratively blinded to Esav’s feigned righteousness that deluded Yitzchok into thinking that perhaps Esav was worthy of being his successor, and literally, physical sightlessness. Both factors […]
Parshas Chayei Sarah – Senior Citizens
<p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;"><em>Avraham was old, well on in years, and G-d had blessed Avraham with everything.</em> (בר×שית כד ×)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">On the surface, this touching portrayal of Avraham would seem […]
Sing a Song of Shabbos
Rabbi Zvi Teichman On Friday night our prayers focus on that very first Shabbos, the seventh day of creation, reflecting on the benevolence of G-d who gifted us this world, avowing that He is the One who is the source of all our blessing. On Shabbos day we reaffirm in our prayers, that second most […]
Parshas Vayeira – Objet de’Mitzvah
<p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Avraham upon discovering the three men traveling in the heat of the day immediately offers them hospitality, telling them he will fetch a morsel of bread to sustain themselves, <strong>×›×™ על-כן</strong> — <em>‘<strong>because it is for this reason</strong> that you have […]
Stop the Bloodshed!
Rabbi Zvi Teichman With the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Israel, the holy soil of our land has once again been stained with innocent and pure blood. Our enemy’s insatiable thirst for our blood has ignited an explosion of hatred and a frenzy of wanton murder. Yet from the moment Noach and his family […]
Considering Teshuva
Rabbi Zvi Teichman In one of the last pre-covid community-wide events, I had the privilege of serving on a panel of Rabbonim, dear friends, in a public forum entitled ‘Considering Teshuva’. Two of the questions I was asked to address regarded the issues of dealing with the inevitable slumps one faces in this yearly, most […]
Let’s Call a Spade a Spade
Rabbi Zvi Teichman When going out in battle against their enemies there is a vital tool that must not only accompany the soldiers at all times, but must also be placed in the exact location on their belts, the left side, where their swords were suspended from. (תרגום יהונתן, לקח טוב) ויתד תהיה (דברים כג […]
We Are All Special Children
Rabbi Zvi Teichman One of the most endearing descriptions of our relationship with G-d is expressed in Re’eh. You are children to Hashem… (דברים יא א) We are a beloved child to Hashem. His attitude towards us can only be approximated by our fathoming the love of a human loving father to his child and […]
Og Slept Here!
Rabbi Zvi Teichman Moshe recalls the remarkable victories we experienced over the mighty warrior, Sichon, the king of Cheshbon, and his giant brother, Og, the king of Bashan. The Torah goes on to record how in an earlier episode the nation of Ammon defeated the race of giants known as Refaim, with Og the only […]