These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: Parsha / Parasha

וארא, va’era

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

in this week’s parsha, parshat וארא,  i struggled with God’s hand in the hardening of pharoah’s heart and the destruction and violence that result.  while pharoah certainly has within him the seed to be the oppressive, tyrannical ruler that dominates this parsha, pharoah’s refusal and stubbornness to release the jewish people, seems to stem from Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Parshat Shmot

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe how the winter months are passing and in particular, that the ‘holiday season’ is upon us. In Israel, you don’t really feel that it’s almost Christmas — there are no colourfully decorated trees in front yards, no “Jingle Bells” playing in the mall. Being in a dominantly Jewish society Continue Reading »

שמות, shmot

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

we get our first hint “that we’re not in kansas in anymore” (dorothy, wizard of oz), when on our first page of our brand new book shmot, we learn that there’s a new king in town, and this new king does not know nor seem to care at all for joseph.  this first parsha שמות, Continue Reading »

ויחי, vayechi

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

oops! I forgot to post this last week! this week’s parsha, ויחי, “he lived,” opens and closes with death.  yaakov, recently uprooted from his home and supplanted to egypt, makes his son yosef swear that he will bury him in the burial place of his fathers.  even after yosef agrees without protest, yaakov insists yosef Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Peaceful Slumber

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, Last week I was reading through the parsha and was struck by very familiar words, namely those of Jacob when he blesses Joseph’s sons, Efraim and Menashe. Sensing his death is near, Jacob beckons his grandsons to receive his blessing. יד  וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל-רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם, וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר, וְאֶת-שְׂמֹאלוֹ, עַל-רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה:  שִׂכֵּל, Continue Reading »

בראשית לשמות, beresheit to shmot

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

on the closing of beresheit, the first book, and the opening of shmot, the second, i wanted to put side-by-side two haikus.  the one through which i opened beresheit and one to reflect on the story of what’s been told.  we’ve come along way in a few months.  from the darkness and the divisions of Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Appreciate the Question!

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I hope you are all recovering from the oil-filled foods from Channukah. I know that I’ve had more than my share of those miraculous treats! Late last week, I was learning the parsha with a dear friend of mine, Chippy, and we were reading small sections and asking questions, reading further on and Continue Reading »

ויגש, vayiggash

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

okay, this is a two-thought, two-haiku parsha. finally, finally, the dramatic reunion we’ve all been waiting for since joseph’s brothers sold him off to a caravan of ishmaelites many years back.  joseph plays his part well:  he sends out all the servants, he confesses his concealed identity, and he loudly weeps so that all may Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Happy Channukah!

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, Happy Channukah! I’m very excited to be celebrating in the illuminated (and unseasonably warm) city of Jerusalem this year. The ‘holiday season’ here is NOTHING like what it is in Toronto. I mean, the local bus has a sign that says “Channukah Sameach” (“Happy Channukah”) on it. Enough said. Before I share what Continue Reading »

מקץ, mikkets

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

this week’s parsha, מקץ, finds not only egypt, but the whole world suffering from a severe scarcity of food.  joseph, after prophetically interpreting pharoah’s dreams of the forecoming famine, is put in charge of storing food in preparation for the ominous seven years ahead.  many dualities are contained in this parsha.  in pharoah’s first dream, Continue Reading »