These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Parsha / Parasha

[PEP Student] Dreams and Designation

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I hope you are all doing well. Hard to believe that I’ve recently celebrated my second Thanksgiving (both in Israel!) and that Channukah is around the corner. Time is really flying by – but I guess that’s a good sign! This week, I’d like to dedicate these words of Torah to my Zaidy, Continue Reading »

Reckless youth?

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Mosheh

We see a fascinating and at first glance disturbing pattern in Joseph’s life this week. He tells his brothers about multiple dreams where he is not only in a place of tremendous power and success, but where the brothers are in a place of subjugation. Could he not have left the latter part out? We Continue Reading »

Parshat Vayeishev

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Francesca

My post at Uri L’Tzedek below: In Parshat Vayeishev, after Yosef is captured by his brothers and sold into slavery, the Torah digresses to the esoteric story of Tamar and Judah. After the death of Tamar’s husband Er, Judah’s firstborn, she marries Er’s younger brother Oran. When Onan also dies, Judah instructs Tamar to wait in Continue Reading »

וישב, vayeshev

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

in this week’s parsha, וישב, our attention focuses on yaakov’s slew of sons .  it seems there is something about yosef, the 11th son, whose very name’s is rooted in the word to add (אסף), that intensifies the experiences and emotions of those around him.  with yosef, you seem to either love him or hate Continue Reading »

וישלח, vayishlah

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

if in the past two parshas, there has been a severing of relationships and distancing between the members of yitzhak’s family, this week’s parsha, וישלח, tells of their coming together.   previously, the rivalry and trickery involved in jacob’s maneuvering of the birthright and blessing from the rightful first-born esau, led to seeming devastion on both Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Dvar Torah: Yearning

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, This past week I was struck by a passage in the parsha that reminded me of a word (actually a Hebrew root) that comes up in several parts of the Shabbat liturgy. To be honest, I was very surprised to see this word used in a context that has absolutely nothing to do Continue Reading »

ויצא, vayetze

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

in this week’s parsha, ויצא (vayetze), jacob sets out to bethuel, the house of his mother’s father, to find himself a wife, and perhaps some countless offspring in the progress.  he succeeds in landing himself not one, but count them, two wives:  leah, the unloved, and rachel, the loved.  jacob favors rachel to such an Continue Reading »

תולדות, toledot

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

in last week’s parsha, rebecca turns to God to explain the incredible pains she is experiencing in her pregrancy.  she is told that she is carrying two people, two nations within her stomach – these two new nations will be realized through the twin birth of jacob and esau.  during the pregnancy, ויתרוצצו הבנים בקרבה, the Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Sojourn in the Land

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, Last week I went on a day trip exploring East Jerusalem, specifically the Mount of Olives, Silwan (neighbouring the City of David), Sheikh Jarrah, Damascus Gate and the Old City. The objective of the trip was to explore a side of Jerusalem many of us don’t often see or interact with, and therefore, Continue Reading »

Baruch Feldstern's Chumash Class

Posted on November 4, 2010 by David Bogomolny

The dalet-hei Humash class recently engaged in an exercise that might be of interest to other students and teachers, for its pedagogic value and/or because it is related to this Shabbat’s parasha. As part of studying the account of Yaakov’s acquiring Esau’s birthright – Gen. 25:29-34 – we read all the comments of Rashi and Continue Reading »